Afterglow
by Lolipopsy
Summary: Ahri joined the League of Legends, and Irelia has been assigned to assist her. In the meantime, Ionia has to face the rising threat of Noxus.
1. Prologue

_**NA: Hi guys! Afterglow is back. I deleted the story because I wished to change some stuff withtin it. I didn't have much time to write, and Riot kept updating their lore with the introduction of the Vastaya. If you've already read the story, the major changes start from chapter 6.  
**_

 _ **Prologue**_

Master Jillian entered the cold room, rubbing his hands to warm them up. Despite the freezing air and the bad weather, his excitation was at its peak as it was always the case whenever someone wished to join the League of Legends. Over the last months, only few people had attempted to join, and all had failed. This time the candidate seemed to be promising, and Jillian was looking forward to evaluating her. The test was about to start when he entered the office. The evaluation consisted in two parts: the first one was made to assess the candidate's mind whereas the second one aimed to test their actual skills. The candidate, who was a your woman with black hair, was waiting for him. Jillian immediately noticed her long white tail and pointy ears. He gave her a smile, and she grinned shyly. He sat in front of her and asked:

"I am Master Jillian. I will evaluate you for both parts of the test. What is you name and where do you come from?"

"My name is Ahri," she replied with a soft voice. "I'm from Ionia."

"How have you heard about the League of Legends?"

"I wanted to change everything in my life. I was told that here I could restart from the beginning."

"This is true. The League is willing to grow. This is why, if you are worthy of joining, you will, regardless of your background story. We will now start the first test. I will ask you some questions, and I want you to reply as quick as possible. Let the answers come to your mind and do not be ashamed of them"

"Alright," Ahri stared at him in the eye.

"The cat and the dog are fighting. Who is right?"

"The one with the longest claws."

"Running or flying, which one is the fastest?"

"Flying."

"The sun goes down. What color is the sky?"

"Fire."

"The sun rises. What color is the sky."

"Blood."

"Fire or blood, which one are you?"

"Fire."

The young girl's answers were fluent and Jillian's eyes sparkled with pleasure.

"What happens when the fire falls into the ocean?"

"It spreads its wings and flies away from the water."

"Can it reach the sun?"

"It has already reached it."

"What is the fire's best friend?"

"The air."

"Why so?"

"The air carries the fire."

"What is fire?"

"A light in the dark."

"Are you the fire?"

"I am the light in the dark."

"Will you fade away?"

"I will only grow brighter."

"Do you want to join the League of Legends?"

"I do."

"Will you lighten it?"

"I will until the sun stops stetting"

A large smile appeared on Jillian's face. Ahri's liveliness was impressive, and her answers were all the more interesting as she grew more confident.

"Very well. This part is finished. I will call you out when the next test is ready."

The candidate nodded and quietly walked out, leaving Jillian with her answers. The second test was usually created depending on the answers given during the first one.

A few hours later, he called the young girl and led her to a large room. A giant eagle was tied to a ring in the ground by its leg.

"This bird has a key around its neck. Your objective is to retrieve it by any means possible."

All the candles lightening the room were suddenly blown out, leaving it pitch black, but Ahri could hear the sound of the chains very clearly thanks to her sharp hearing. She moved forward, and a large ball of arcane energy appeared in her hand, casting a blue light around. The bird became agitated, staring at the human in front of it. It suddenly lunged forward, and Ahri disappeared in a blink, dashing away. A blue light brutally hit the eagle before disappearing, plunging the room into the darkness again.


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

The sun was lazily disappearing behind the mountain overlooking the Institute of War. It probably was the most famous place in Valoran, as it was the headquarters of the League of Legends. Most champions lived there, some by choice, others because they had nowhere else to stay. A few champions however were not allowed to remain in this area because of their dangerous nature and lust for destruction. The Institute was located in the center of a small town where summoners and masters mixed with the champions of the League. The whole place was considered peaceful since the strict regulation prohibited all acts of violence against champions or summoners. For those who knew its deepest and darkest parts, however, it was no different from places such as Bilgewater or Noxus.

Irelia was striding her way on the main street going to the Institute. She was lost in her thoughts, and her mind was on fire from her argument in the tavern where she was coming from. It was the only tavern around, which meant the place was quite crowded every night. She had arrived there early in order to enjoy her drink before any bothersome people invaded the large room. When she had pushed the heavy wooden door, Garen and Jarvan were chatting in a corner. They both nodded at her as a greeting. She then ordered a drink and heard a despising throat clearing on her left. Her eyes met Draven's, nonchalantly sitting with his feet on a table. Next to him were Vladimir and Ekko. A provocative smirk had appeared on the Glorious Executioner's face which Irelia had ignored by looking elsewhere. Another throat clearing had reached her ear, echoing louder than it actually was. She had shut Draven out, taking a sip of her drink. Draven had stood up and walked towards her, determined to get a reaction from her. After leaning against the counter next to her, he said:

"This is not very polite. I greet you, and you do not respond. Should I show you how to say hello to you comrades?"

"I don't want to talk to you, Draven. Back off, or should I teach you how not to be a pain in the ass for the people around you?"

A jeer had shaken Draven's shoulders as he had replied: "Unfortunately I do wish to chat with you. It is not often that an Ionian can be found away from the pack."

"Pretty relevant comment from a Noxian," Irelia had retorted, glancing at Vladimir.

"Draven, that's enough," Ekko had stood up as well. "You're already acting like a dick, and you're not even drunk yet." He had tried to relax the atmosphere, and Draven had looked at him, confused.

"Thank you Ekko," Irelia had said "but I'm done here anyways." She had kept her voice calm and cold, but inside she was burning like a volcano. Shoving Draven, she had made her way out of the tavern holding her head high.

When she reached the Institute, the sun had almost disappeared, and the clear sky had taken a dark blue tint. By the time she got to her room, her head had cooled down, and she promised herself she wouldn't go back to the tavern any time soon. A bit later this night, a gentle knock on the door echoed in the silent room. Irelia opened the door, surprised to find Teemo.

"This is for you. It's from the head of the League." The yordle handed a rolled piece of paper which Irelia suspected he had read even though it was not addressed to him.

"Thank you, Teemo."

"Always ready to help." He smiled before walking away, whistling a joyful melody.

Irelia unfolded the paper and read its content.

 _To Irelia, champion of the League of Legends,_

 _We have the honor to inform you that our latest recruit is ready to enter the League of Legends. She will arrive tomorrow, and you have been assigned to be her mentor for the next months. You will find her profile below._

 _Name: Ahri_

 _Origin: Ionia_

 _Age: Unknown_

 _Race: Unknown_

 _Hair color: Black_

 _Eye color: Blue_

 _Skills: Use of magic (skills unclear)_

 _She will be waiting for you in the entrance hall tomorrow at 6am. We are counting on your cooperation._

 _High Councilor Vessaria Kolminye_

Irelia frowned: she knew every time a new champion joined the League they were assigned a mentor, another champion who was supposed to guide and inform them about the rules within the Institute and in the Fields of Justice. She wondered why the League had asked _her_ to take care of this newcomer. Perhaps because she came from the same country as her. She sighed and got back inside her room to get some sleep, but she couldn't shut her eyes, her mind boiling trying to imagine what Ahri looked like.

The next morning, Irelia went to the entrance hall. She was a bit early, but an unknown figure was already there. The first thing that struck Irelia was the long white tail, whose fur seemed extremely soft, floating behind her. Her long black hair was braided behind her back, and two pointy black ears came out of it. Irelia wondered what part of Ionia she was from, as she had never heard of this kind of race.

"Morning," she said, drawing the attention of the girl. "You must be Ahri. My name is Irelia, and I've been asked to help you during your first months here."

Ahri smiled, and they shook hands. "A pleasure to meet you. Pardon my clumsiness. I am not familiar with how to behave with champions of the League."

"Just treat me like a normal human being, not like a god. Don't worry, you'll get used to it very quickly... and you technically are a champion of the League too from now on."

The newcomer seemed a bit shy and was looking around, uncertain of what to say next.

"Come with me," Irelia added. "I'll show you around. If you have any questions, don't hesitate. I'm here to help."

She started by explaining the role of the Institute as headquarters. They walked through the corridors talking about the different parts of the building.

"The Institute is divided into different wings, each one of them made for a faction. We are here in the upper eastern wing, where all the champions from Ionia live. At the end of the corridor, you have the upper western wing, where the yordles live, except for Kled. He doesn't really belong to any faction and hates everyone here, himself included."

"Interesting character," Ahri commented.

"You'll get to meet him on the Rift. If you take the next left, you will get to the Noxian wing and trust me, you don't wanna go there, especially if you are from Ionia."

"I've never had any issues with Noxians. I've met some, and they were as friendly as anyone else."

"Where did you meet them?"

Ahri hesitated, as if the answer to that question would embarrass her.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to. Let's keep going."

They went downstairs, where all the champions from Piltover and Demacia stayed. The level below was the training center, a huge room where one could find anything to train with.

"How about the champions from Bilgewater and the Freljord?" Ahri asked.

"The Northern ward is on the top level of the Institute. This is where you can find the champions from the Freljord. As to the people of Bilgewater, most of them live in another building next to the main one."

"Why are they isolated?"

"I think they asked for it. They are pretty noisy and received many complains in the past few years, so they asked to be moved to another place where they can shout without disturbing anyone. I wouldn't go there after dusk if I were you. It can be dangerous. Gragas owns the only tavern around. He's probably the only one from Bilgewater I don't mind talking to."

Ahri nodded, her ears twisting to every sound around. Irelia wondered about her background, but was too polite to ask questions.

"The Shuriman champions are on the same floor as the Freljordian," she carried on "As to the champions from the Void, they have a special wing in the catacombs under the training room. Most of them are extremely dangerous, so try not to approach them. Violence is supposed to be prohibited in here, but it doesn't prevent mental manipulation."

Ahri scowled, as though she did not believe it was possible, and Irelia felt her naivete would soon be blown away.

"Where is the fighting area? I haven't seen it yet."

"The Fields of Justice are not around here. You can only access them by teleporting from a platform. When you are called for a match, you have to go to the Fountain Yard, and your summoner will cast a spell to take you to the Rift." After a silence, she asked: "How much do you know about the League of Legends?"

"Not much, really," Ahri sighed. "I only know the basic concept: you fight in an arena."

"That's it? Then why have you joined if you don't even know what to expect?"

Ahri looked around, observing the carvings in the walls before replying. "I guess I wanted a new life."

Irelia caught a glimpse of sorrow in her eyes, but kept her thoughts for herself and held back a heavy sigh. "Come, I'll introduce you to some of my friends. They are champions too, and we will explain everything to you in further details."


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

The two women walked back to the Ionian wing.

"By the way," Irelia said as they walked past a door "this is your room. Mine is over there."

She knocked on the next door, and a man with long tied hair and piercing eyes opened. He smiled when he saw his visitors.

"Hi Irelia. What can I do for you?"

"Good morning. I'm taking the new champion around."

Yasuo stared at Ahri, scanning her from the feet to the head. "My name is Yasuo. It is a pleasure to meet you. May I ask your name?"

"I'm Ahri. I got here a bit earlier."

"And what is your specialty? Healing, magic combat? You look like too frail for a fighter. Maybe a mage?"

Ahri hesitated and Irelia said: "She's not familiar with the way the League of Legends works. I thought you might help her out. I know how much you love talking about all this over and over."

The Ionian warrior nodded with a smile and stepped aside to let them in.

"Be my guests and take a seat. Irelia, do you know when her first match will take place?"

"Tomorrow, I guess. Unless they have decided to give her a day off, which I highly doubt. The summoners must already be impatient to discover what she's made of."

"We therefore have to whole day to brief her. The very concept of the League is pretty simple: first, you have the masters, who are in charge of all the business and justice stuff around the League: they test the champions, enforce the laws and can make some changes in the way the League works. They are gifted with incredible magic skills and control everything happening in the Rift. Then you have the summoners. They are trained mages who graduated from Noxus' Summoner's Academy. They use their power in order to link and communicate with a champion the time of a match. There are ten summoners in a match, five on each side. Each one of them has to select one champion who will fight for them in the Rift. Now, this is where we step in. As a champion, you are allowed not to listen to your summoner if you don't want to, but trust me, the win rates are way higher if you team up with them, because they are aware of what you might be oblivious to because you are focused on your battle. A good team spirit is required to win a match. The main purpose of each match is to destroy the enemy Nexus. There are three main paths, called lanes through which you will have to make your way in order to reach the Nexus. Those lanes are protected by turrets that you must destroy to avoid unnecessary casualties. You will be assisted by minions. They are brainless magic-powered creatures who keep moving straight to the enemy Nexus."

Yasuo kept explaining the rules for about an hour, and Irelia admired how passionate his speech was.

"What happens if I get hurt during a match?" Ahri asked "Will this actually affect me?"

"Yes and no. Whenever you are wounded during a match, you can cast a spell which will recall you to your fountain. The fountain has special healing properties and you will be fresh after a minute. If you die, which will certainly happen, you will be sent back to the fountain after five minutes."

"Does it hurt? And what happens in the meantime?" She looked worried, and Irelia couldn't help smiling: she had felt the exact same anxiety in her first match.

"You just black out and wake up in the fountain. Sometimes, it's not that bad when you wanna take a rest. It does hurt, but the whole Rift is wrapped in magic which somehow numbs the pain. So, it is painful, but not as much as you could expect it to be outside the Fields of Justice. Now, I said it could affect you and listen to me carefully: for some champions, and should I say for many of them, killing other champions is satisfying, relaxing and enjoyable. I know nothing of your background, but if you come here as fresh as Lux, having to take lives might take a heavy toll on you. I am not going to lie, when you get to the Rift, expect a real bloodbath. Champions like Rengar or Renekton rejoice in slaughter, so be prepared to witness things so brutal you've never thought of them."

As Ahri's look darkened, Yasuo had a smirk and added: "This is the major downside, along with some angry summoners, but you can always shut them out. I will repeat this because it's the most important thing: winning a game is a matter of teamwork. If you try to go solo, you won't get anywhere, no matter how powerful you are."

Irelia stood up in silence, signing Yasuo she had something to do. The latter nodded, and she left.

The Ionian went down the Fountain Yard. She wanted to check the schedule for the next day in order to see when Ahri's first match would be. The Fountain Yard was a huge square, always crowded with summoners and champions. A match was taking place at the moment, and she had to make her way through the large crowd. On the schedule, she saw that there were four matches planned for the next day.

 _Match 1 (8.00 AM)_

 _ **Blue Team:**_

 _Thresh, Lucian, Ahri, Nidalee, Nocturne_

 _ **Red Team:**_

 _Soraka, Miss Fortune, Annie, Rengar, Olaf_

 _Match 2 (10.00 AM)_

 _ **Blue Team:**_

 _Bard, Vayne, Lux, Talon, Riven_

 _ **Red Team:**_

 _Blitzcrank, Ezreal, Ahri, Shyvana, Irelia_

 _Match 3 (1.00 PM)_

 _ **Blue Team:**_

 _Nami, Jhin, Kassadin, Kindred, Cho' Gath_

 _ **Red Team:**_

 _Leona, Vayne, Vel'Koz, Nocturne, Aatrox_

 _Match 4 (4.00 PM)_

 _ **Blue Team:**_

 _Braum, Caitlyn, Ahri, Fizz, Kennen_

 _ **Red Team:**_

 _Janna, Jinx, Katarina, Vi, Renekton_

Each champion could not be selected more than three times a day, and it wouldn't be surprising if Ahri had to fight three times a day for her first weeks in the League. It was always the same when a new champion joined: everyone was crazy about them and eager to see what they were capable of. According to her position, Ahri was either a mage or an assassin. After spectating the ongoing match where Rengar was on a killing frenzy, she walked back to Yasuo's room. She entered without knocking, startling the new recruit.

"Sorry. You have three matches tomorrow. First one is at 8 AM and you'll be against Annie."

"Who is she?" Ahri asked.

"She's also known as the Dark Child. She's actually a very kind person, if you don't fear her unusual talent for dark magic. She's young, but don't underestimate her because of her age and size. She fights using fire, but the biggest danger comes from her teddy bear, Tibbers. She has trapped a powerful spirit inside her stuffed animal and her power liberates him. He becomes enraged and extremely powerful."

"That's a good summary," Yasuo commented "Actually, I suggest you get to know the other champions outside the Rift as well. We cannot always allow ourselves to display our true nature when we fight. Some of them can become real friends." Turning his gaze to Irelia who was standing behind Ahri, he asked: "Who's her next opponent?"

"Your second match is at 10 AM. I will be there as well. You will fight against Luxanna Crownguard. She is from Demacia and is Garen's sister. Both of them are very friendly. Maybe I'll introduce you to them later. Lux is a mage who uses the power of light. She has a vast range of spells which can hit you even if you keep your distances."

"How about the last match?" Ahri asked.

"I think it will be the hardest, partially because you will be tired from your other fights. Second reason is because your opponent is Katarina. She is a Noxian assassin and genuinely hates everything that comes from Ionia. She's a ruthless fighter who relies on speed and uses daggers and throwing knives to fight."

"It's always a tough match when you're fighting Katarina," Yasuo said. Then turning to Irelia, he added "Maybe you should test her abilities so you can give her more tips for tomorrow."

She nodded and signaled Ahri to follow her.

"Goodbye Ahri. Good luck. I will be watching you tomorrow."

The young girl smiled before replying. "Thank you, Yasuo. I hope we'll meet again soon."

Irelia took Ahri to the underground level where the training room was located.

"According to your opponents and position, I'm guessing you are, like Yasuo said, either into magic or assassination. Can you show me what kind of powers you have? What can you fight with?"

"I use magic," Ahri opened her hand in front of her, and a large shimmering blue ball appeared. She made it spin around her body before propelling it towards one of the training dummies which got disintegrated on the impact. Ahri moved on the side, with the grace and agility of a feline. Several blue balls, smaller this time, popped around her. Each one of them hit a target, piercing a hole in their chests.

"That's a lot of light, but I'm impressed. What else can you do?" Irelia asked.

Ahri's tail suddenly divided into nine white tails. She bent her knees and dashed on the left at prodigious speed. It reminded Irelia of her own move. While in motion, Ahri fired an energy ball, destroying two dummies in the same time. She then repeated her move, flashing to the right. In less than five seconds, almost all the dummies had been destroyed. Irelia couldn't help a smile. This girl was surely powerful. She combined both the skills of a mage and the speed of an assassin. Maybe she could easily defeat Katarina, even after two matches. Ahri stopped to catch her breath and looked at Irelia.

"Anything else?" the Will of the Blades asked.

"Y- yeah, but I'm not sure..."

"Don't be shy. Show me what it is."

Ahri moved in front of her and looked at her in the eye. Her blue eyes became purple, and everything around Irelia turned black. She could only see the figure of Ahri standing before her. Her head was buzzing as if she had taken a hit. Ahri's eyes were sparkling, and a strange sensation grew inside Irelia's chest. The feeling suddenly disappeared as the room reappeared in her field of vision. The recruit's eyes had turned back to their natural blue color.

"What happened?" Irelia asked, confused by the situation.

"This is a charm spell. It's pretty useful when I need to go away from someone. It leaves them so confuse, they need some time to react. The only downside is that it takes a bit of time to cast, as I need to focus."

"Interesting indeed. You know what? I think you have everything to beat your opponents tomorrow. You can use your speed to dodge Annie and Lux's spells, and use your magic to keep Katarina away."

When they got out of the building, the sky was colored in a golden tint, as the sun was going down.

"If you are hungry, we can grab something to eat. I'll show you around the town," Irelia offered.

"I'm starving to be honest. It's always like this when I use my powers."

"It's the same for everyone, trust me. Follow me."

They were walking down the street when a giant figure blocked their way. It had the shape of a two meter-sized jackal with dark fur.

"Hi Nasus." Irelia said.

"How are you doing today? I've heard you were in charge of the new champion. Is it her?"

"Yes I am. My name's Ahri."

"I am Nasus. I hope we will fight together soon. Now if you'll excuse me, I must go."

He strode away, and Irelia held back a smile, amused by Ahri's amazed look.

"He looks impressive, but he is actually very calm and cold-tempered. His main flaw is his lack of humor. He takes everything way too seriously."

"He has some kind of... I don't know how to say it. Some kind of royal aura floating around him, like a powerful charisma."

"He is one of the Ascended, the most powerful beings in Shurima, sometimes considered as a demigod. He has a brother, Renekton, a kind of crocodile monster. I've always preferred Nasus to his brother, to be honest. Renekton is a bit too edgy, especially when he fights."

Although she had swore to herself not to go back to the tavern, she wanted to take Ahri over there so she could relax before the next day. Even though she looked confident, Irelia could read concern in her eyes. Hoping not to stumble on Draven again, she pushed the door. The place was almost empty. Gragas was cleaning his counter while Lux was speaking with Ashe. Irelia also spotted Jinx in a corner. The Loose Cannon was playing with a monkey which had cymbals attached to its hands, probably a toy she had stolen from a kid when she had traveled back to Piltover a few days ago. She was the most wanted criminal of Piltover, the heart of science and progress and usually stayed at the Institute, where the regulations protected her from the law. Not even Caitlyn nor Vi could arrest her while she was there. Lux and Ashe stared at the newcomers, curious about the foreign girl. Gragas raised his eyes from his counter and a large smile stretched his lips.

"I see you are back. I'm sorry about yesterday. I was busy in the cellar. Had I been there, I would have kicked them out without a warning."

"It's okay. Don't mention it. Can you get us two meals?"

"Sure. Who's the lovely lady?"

While Ahri introduced herself once again, Irelia looked around. Lux and Ashe were still gazing at them, whispering, and even Jinx had her pink eyes focused on Ahri. Her eyes met Irelia's, and a large smile stretched across her face displaying her pointy teeth. Many champions avoided Jinx because of her eccentric nature and childish behavior, not to mention her dangerous fascination for guns and explosives. She was good company, though, as long as you could keep your head cool and take the whole conversation as a joke.

Lux's voice caught Irelia's attention. "Hey, Irelia, come here with your friend. We want to meet her."

They sat down next to them, and Lux said with a cheerful voice: "I heard your name was Ahri. Welcome to the League. I hope you'll like it here. My name is Lux. I'll be your opponent tomorrow during the second match."

"Yeah, I know. I'm pleased to meet you."

Irelia noticed that, despite her timidity, Ahri did her best to be friendly, modeling her behavior on Lux's joyful attitude.

"My name is Ashe. I'm happy to meet you, and even happier to see that you make an effort to get to know the other champions."

"I didn't really chose to come here. I'm just following Irelia."

Ashe gave the latter an approving look.

Lux commented: "She's right. The other new champion arrived a few weeks ago, and I have barely seen her. I heard she just sent her mentor packing."

"Camille? Who was her mentor?"

"Vi. She was not happy at all," Ashe answered

"That explains her terrible mood, I guess." Irelia had indeed noticed Vi's behavior had become colder, and the little patience she had seemed to ave faded away. According to Caitlyn, Piltover's criminals had never been so quiet.

They kept chatting, and Irelia noticed that both Lux and Ashe avoided asking personal questions. More and more people were coming in, and they decided to leave. Outside, the air was fresh under the dark sky. Irelia and Ahri walked back to their wing and stopped in front of Ahri's door.

"Can I ask you something?" the fox-mage asked "All these people I have met today are wonderful. How can you see them in a battle and decide to take their lives just like this?"

"We are used to it, don't worry. Everyone knows this is how it works. They will not mind, and will even be glad, because it means you're doing great. You'll see that, when you are fighting against your friends, it becomes more like a child game than an actual match. You need not worry about this. It is fine to be scared for your first matches." After a silence, she added: "I also have a question for you: we all have a battle nickname. Which one do you want? I'll write it on the board before the match tomorrow morning."

After a moment of reflexion, Ahri replied: "Back in Ionia, I was known as the Nine-Tailed Fox."

"Fine, I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night and try to get some sleep."

Irelia walked back to her room, satisfied she had, at last, learned one thing about Ahri: her tails and ears where those of a fox. She planned to ask Karma or Nasus about this human-fox race.


	4. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

Irelia got up early the next morning in order to give the matchmakers Ahri's nickname. She then remained outside a bit, enjoying the first rays of sun. Half an hour later, she gently knocked on Ahri's door. As nothing happened, she knocked harder. "Hey, wake up. Your match is in 15 minutes!"

Still no answer. She opened the door, making as much noise as possible. The fox-lady was still under her blanket. Irelia swore and opened the curtains, repeating: "Get up, or you'll miss your first match."

Ahri slowly emerged from her deep sleep, probably wondering what Irelia was doing in her room. Her mentor clapped her hand under her nose. "Hurry up! I'll wait for you outside, and don't go back to sleep!"

Fifteen minutes later, she was striding to the Fountain Yard, Ahri on her heels. She still seemed a bit sleepy, but the other champions were waiting, and they had no time to waste. When they arrived there, everybody had their eyes on them. Irelia explained Ahri where to stand. A young man smiled at Ahri, and Irelia guessed he was her summoner. The fox-lady stepped on the platform, next to Nocturne. She couldn't stop staring at his dark floating figure. The teleportation spell started, wrapping all the champions in a blue glow until they all disappeared at once. On the huge crystal wall used to broadcast the matches, the champions appeared in their fountain. Ahri looked pretty confused, continuously looking around until Nidalee told her which path she had to follow. Lucian and Thresh went one way, avoiding looking at each other, while Nocturne headed the other way. Nidalee turned into a cougar and disappeared into the depths of the forest. On the other side, Annie was playing behind a wave of minions.

The beginning of the game went quite peacefully. Ahri suddenly dashed towards Annie who cast a huge fireball, aiming for her opponent's head. Everything happened fast: Ahri's blue spells hit the Dark Child, while the fireball disappeared into the distance, as the Nine-Tailed Fox had already dashed away, propelling another energy ball. Annie fell on her knees, defenseless. Ahri came closer, a glimpse of hesitation in her eyes. This was enough for Annie to stand up and limp away. The little girl didn't go far though: Nidalee jumped out of a bush in her feline form. She landed on Annie and bit her neck, ripping her throat out. She turned back to her human form, blood dripping from her lips, and told Ahri: "Don't hesitate next time. It will get dangerous for you if you do. Be careful, Rengar is around."

The rest of the match went extremely well for Blue Team: Lucian and Thresh, despite their obnoxious behavior towards each other, had taken a considerable advantage over Soraka and Miss Fortune, and Nocturne's speed added to the dark veil he often cast outmatched Olaf's skills. Rengar was the only one who was not in trouble, but he was constantly chased by Nidalee. The Beast Huntress had at first roamed around Ahri, ready to help her if needed. When she realized the new recruit was handling her lane, she had started to chase Rengar around, preventing him from helping his allies. At the end of the match, Ahri had not been slain a single time, triggering some "wow's" in the crowd.

When she teleported back to the Fountain Yard, her face was displaying a large smile. She shook hands with her summoner who looked crazy about her skills. Nocturne disappeared right away, and so did Thresh, after shooting Lucian a despising glare. Irelia approached Ahri who smiled at her.

"That went great," the Will of the Blades said. "You have one hour before your next match. I suggest you change and get some rest."

"I still feel in great shape, but you are right. I'll see you later. I know the way."

A few minutes later, Irelia ran into Yasuo, who had obviously spectated the match.

"She's promising," he commented. "I am curious to see how well she will do in her next battles."

"I feel like her performance will not go unnoticed by the summoners. I hope they will not push her too far. It would be a pity if the matchmakers had to put some restrictions upon her selection."

"They will calm down in two weeks. You know it's always like this."

"Except for you. I honestly don't know how you can handle that."

"I guess it's nice to feel appreciated, even though I seem to attract all the obnoxious summoners. I'm tired of this. They should fight in my stead, just to see what it is like."

Irelia nodded, knowing how much pressure Yasuo had endured these last few years.

"I'll go," she said. "I have to get ready for the next match. I'll talk to yo later."

"Break a leg! I'll be watching," Yasuo grinned.

Irelia went back to her room and changed clothes. She took her weapon as well as a whetstone and meticulously sharpened the four blades. Ten minutes before the beginning of the match, she stood up and got out. She knocked on Ahri's door, but there was no answer, and the door was locked. When she reached the Fountain Yard, all the selected champions were chatting together in a friendly way. A tall girl with blond hair approached Irelia. Probably her summoner. The champion greeted her and stepped on the platform when called out. She nodded at Riven on the other side who nodded back. A blue light wrapped them and they appeared a minute later in the fountain. Ezreal and Blitzcrank were already headed down their lane.

"Good luck," Irelia told Ahri and Shyvana before walking through the minions. She reached her tower before them. Riven was a strong champion, and the match would certainly be tough, but not impossible. Slaying the enemy minions, she looked around, surprised not to find signs of her opponent. Even when she reached the first turret, she remained alone.

 _She's down,_ her summoner said in her head. _She is with Lux and Talon. They are trying to take Ahri out._ _I think you should focus on the turret. I'll warn you if they disappear from the lane._

Judging this idea good enough, Irelia watched the canons slowly destroy the stone structure. A crack caught her attention. She moved aside, ready to strike whatever was coming. Shyvana emerged from the thick tree curtain.

"Hurry and destroy this turret. They are all busy with the new champion."

"Shouldn't you be helping her?" Irelia replied, slicing through another minion.

"She's buying us time."

The Half-Dragon used her impressive strength to rip large fragments off the turret in order to display its core. Irelia reached for the blue stone and crushed it under her foot.

 _Where's Ahri?_ she asked her summoner.

 _She's heading towards you. Riven is after her, but I can't see the other_ s

Irelia darted towards the jungle, jumping over the big roots covered with foam. She stopped for a second to listen to her surroundings. Light footsteps were coming closer. Irelia crouched behind a large tree and patiently waited. Ahri appeared, running as if the devil itself was on her heels. Riven appeared shortly after. Irelia glimpsed Shyvana in front of her. The Half-Dragon was hiding too, waiting for the right opportunity. Energy balls were dancing around the fox-lady, and she propelled all of them at the same time to her opponent who dodged them by jumping left and right. Riven leaped forward, holding her sword in both hands, to strike Ahri.

Shyvana chose this moment to leap out of her hideout, turning into a huge dragon. Riven did not slow down, though. She ducked and swung her blade, cutting deeply through Shyvana's scales. Talon suddenly appeared behind her, aiming for her eyes with his knives. Without waiting any longer, Irelia dashed out, striking the assassin who lost his balance. She hammered him with strong hits, breaking his defense. A blue light hit him in the chest and he collapsed on the ground. Irelia looked behind her: Riven was down as well, and Shyvana was badly wounded. Back to her human form, her skin was covered in blood and her breath was hoarse. Irelia moved next to her. A thin red ray suddenly appeared, aiming for the group.

"Move!" Irelia shouted before rolling on the side. A bright explosion shook the air, wiping out all everything in its way. Irelia stood up and looked behind. Shyvana was lying on the ground. At the sight of her torn body, Irelia had a grimace of disgust. Ahri was a little further. She apparently had managed to jump aside, but the ray had hit her flank. They both cast the recall spell and let the fountain heal their wounds.

The rest of the match went to their advantage: Ezreal was in a killing spree, helped by Blitzcrank who seemed in a very good mood. Ahri's power appeared to be even with Lux's, and only her speed and agility kept her from being exterminated by the Lady of Luminosity. With the help of Shyvana, however, they managed to move forward and destroyed all the turrets on the way. It was a bit more complicated for Irelia: Talon kept lurking around Riven, waiting for her to engage a fight before jumping in. Riven and Talon destroyed the first turret, but had to go back to their fountain to defend their Nexus which was falling. The match ended with a victory for Red team. Back at the Fountain Yard, all the champions congratulated each other. It had been an intense battle and all of them had enjoyed it.

"She's amazing," Lux told Irelia. Her blond hair was stuck to her head, damp of sweat. "Fighting against her is super dynamic. I love that. She'll grow very popular if she keeps going like this."

Ahri joined them a minute later.

"So what did you think of it?" Lux asked.

"It was a nice match. You are extremely talented. Where did you learn all that?"

"Mostly by myself. Demacia is not exactly fond of magic. I'll will explain it to you when we have more time."

"You should get a rest," Irelia said. "You must be tired and you still have one fight tonight."

"I'm good, actually. I'll just go take a shower."

Irelia and Lux kept talking for a while after Ahri left. The Ionian then walked back to the Institute.

"Irelia!" a male voice shouted. Ekko strode towards her. His face was a little tense, as if he had a confession to make.

"Nice match," he said, his eyes glancing around.

"Yeah. Ezreal did great. Not sure we would have won without him."

"Well, you kind of kept Talon busy."

"It's always the same with Noxian champions. They keep focusing on Ionians."

"Isn't the new girl from Ionia too?"

"Yes she is."

After an awkward silence, Irelia added: "I have to go now. I'll see you later, Ekko."

"Wait! I need to tell you something. I've been hanging out with Draven and Darius a lot, and I think you and all the other Ionians should be careful."

"Why? What are you talking about."

"I'm not exactly sure," Ekko hesitated.

"If you know something, tell me," Irelia ordered with a cold voice.

The change in her tone startled the young man. "They mentioned a 'task' or something like this when we were talking about Ionia. Something important they had to do. Look, all I know is that it involves Ionia and Noxus, so it can't be good. I don't know if only Darius and Draven are in this, but you should tell the other Ionian champions to watch their backs. I gotta go now."

Ekko walked away, leaving Irelia alone on the paved path. Her brain was working at full speed. What could the Noxians possibly have in mind? They could not take action within the Institute, so if they were actually up to something, it had to be on a much larger scale. Irelia quickly went to Ionian ward and knocked on Karma's door. No answer. Irelia knocked again, harder, but there was nobody. Footsteps caught her attention. Shen was coming in her direction.

"Karma is out. She has been called back to Ionia for important business."

"Did she tell you what kind of business?"

Shen looked at her, probably wondering why she was still wearing her dirty battle outfit.

"No, she did not. What's the matter?"

"Some possible issues with the Noxians. I'm not certain yet. I need to talk to Karma first."

Shen frowned. "We've been having issues with Noxus for a long time. Who told you this?"

"I'll tell you later if there is actually something going on. Do you know when Karma will be back?"

"In two days. You look a bit disturbed. You should take a rest. Let me know when you have talked to Karma."

"I'm sorry for not telling you everything, but I don't want to freak people out for nothing."

"I understand. I'll wait for your notice. By the way, how did your match go?"

"It was hard, but we made it."

"I've heard lots of things about the new champion, and she has only been here for one day. It sounds very promising."

"I'll introduce her to you as soon as possible if you want."

"It would be my pleasure. Now, go. I don't like seeing you like this."

Irelia smiled and went back to her room.


	5. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

She woke up with a startle. Outside, the dark sky was lightened with a thousand stars. She had never meant to sleep this long. She looked at the mechanical clock: 7PM. She swore out loud and got up. In the corridor, she knocked on Ahri's door, but she wasn't there. She was probably out with other champions. Wondering about the results of the last match, she checked out the panel where the highlights of each match were displayed. The Red team had won, carried by Katarina and Jinx. Ahri's team had performed poorly, and the Nine-Tailed Fox's stats sent shivers down Irelia's spine: it was like the whole Red Team had taken it out on her. The Will of the Blades went back to the Institute: she wanted to talk to Nasus about the human-fox race. She walked through the empty corridors for a long time before reaching the library. The place was modest, but counted a large number of precious books. Nasus could usually be found in this place in the evening. Irelia found him leaning over a table where a parchment was displaying strange curved symbols. Nasus turned his head when he hear her.

"Good evening, Irelia. You look tired."

"I just woke up, actually."

Nasus had a light laugh which echoed against the tall walls. "I am glad I don't need as much rest as humans. Can I help you with anything?"

"Perhaps. I was wondering about Ahri's origins. I've been told she was from Ionia, but I have never heard of people with fox tails and ears."

"Perhaps you have heard about the Vastaya. They are hybrids between animals and humans. During the Void War in Ionia, a group of people who fled the war bumped into a tribe of shapeshifters. They got to know them and reproduced, giving birth to the first vastaya. After that, they started to travel around and outside Ionia, settling down in regions of Runeterra."

"I have met some of them while traveling. They were bird-like humans with talons and colorful feathers, but I had no idea there were others.

"I have never had time to look into it, but now that I have an actual reason, I might try to find out more about them."

"Thank you, Nasus."

The demigod looked down at his parchment. "Don't mention it. It is my pleasure."

"What is this for? Irelia asked.

"This is an original manuscript recently retrieved in an old ruin in the desert of Shurima."

"Who found it?"

"I believe you can guess."

"Ezreal, right?"

"Indeed. He came back two weeks ago from Shurima and told me he had found this precious parchment. However, since he had been sent by the Piltover Antique Museum, he was to bring the parchment back to the city. When he told me this, I introduced a request so that the manuscript was sent here."

"They agreed? It doesn't sound like them. They like to show off their discoveries."

"Piltover is the city of science and progress. What good is science if it cannot explain how things work? They were unable to decipher the item and therefore asked me to do it."

"Any results so far?"

"Not really. I'm progressing slowly, and this is a hard work. Don't worry, I will find time for the research about the Vastaya."

"Take your time, Nasus. Don't prioritize my requests over your own work. I'll stop bothering you, now."

"If you are looking for Ahri, she went downtown with Luxanna Crownguard after her match."

Irelia thanked him and got out in complete silence. She enjoyed the peacefulness of the library. This place was never crowded, as only few champions and summoners had interested in books. Outside, the night had grown cooler and a light breeze blew away some dead leaves. Irelia decided to leave Ahri alone and went back to her room. She was looking forward to Karma's return. In the meantime, she couldn't do anything but wait.

In the next two days, eight matches took place, and Ahri was selected for six of them. Irelia hoped the summoners were going to settle down soon, as the Nine-Tailed Fox looked exhausted. When she was sure Karma was in her room, she knocked on the door. Karma let her in. "Good morning. I heard you were the new girl's mentor. Is everything fine?"

"Yes it is, but this is not why I wanted to see you. I have heard quite disturbing things about Noxus."

Karma's look darkened. "Take a seat and explain everything."

Irelia obeyed, telling about her conversation with Ekko. "What do you think about it?" She asked at the end."

"It only confirms what I heard in Ionia. I attended a meeting, and we discussed about the rising threat of Noxus."

"Why haven't I been informed about this?"

"Well, they asked me to inform you, and that's what I'm doing now. Here is the whole thing: about a month ago, three Noxian spies have been captured near the Golden Waterfalls. They were interrogated for a long time. One of them ceded and admitting they had been sent by the Noxian government in order to write a thorough report about the Ionian political situation. They were told to focus on the weaknesses of the system."

"Did he say who exactly sent them?"

"They don't know. They are selected by letters sent to their homes."

"Did he say anything else?"

"No, but two days later, all three of them were found dead in their cells. Their throats had been slit to the bone."

"I should go back to Ionia to..."

"They want us to act from the inside," Karma cut her off "All the Ionian champions in the Institute are asked to figure out what's happening from their position."

"I'm afraid spying on Noxian champions will not be enough," Irelia sarcastically replied.

"Spying won't be enough, but we are in the center of the Runeterra. It will be far easier for us to move around than if we are stuck on Ionia."

"Don't tell me you're planning to go straight to Noxus."

"Not yet. Not until we find out the truth, or until there is not other choice."

Irelia took a minute to think about all this. Karma was right: going back to Ionia would be a waste of time as their current location was ideal to watch the Noxian champions.

"I think we should inform the others. At least those who could give us a hand," the Will of the Blades said.

"Who do you have in mind?"

"Shen, Yi, Yasuo, Akali, Lee Sin, Kennen and Soraka. I don't want to involve Zed, even if he would be extremely useful. He would mess everything up. Jinh and Synra are out of the list for obvious reasons, and Varus won't agree to work for the sake of Ionia."

"How about Ahri? She's from Ionia too."

Irelia hesitated. "She just got here. I'm not willing to put her life in danger, especially since all the summoners seem to have grown fond of her. I will tell her if the situation becomes truly unstable."

"Alright. It seems good to me. Meet me tomorrow in the training room at 2am. I'll gather the others."

Irelia nodded and got out of the room, pondering about her conversation with Karma.

The next day, she was selected for a match in the early afternoon. Her teammates were Jinx, Soraka, Veigar and Nocturne. The enemy team consisted of Diana, Zac, Zed, Thresh and Kalista. The battle which, at the beginning, went smoothly turned to a real disaster. Thresh and Kalista acted as a lethal couple, and soon Jinx and Soraka were forced to fall back to their second turret. Jinx's mood was terrible and she started blaming everything on the other members of her team, especially on Soraka and Nocturne. Back at the fountain, Irelia heard her scream: "It's not a 5 versus 5. It's a 3 versus 7! Maybe I should just blow your heads off and see if the enemy team misses you."

Nocturne let out a scream of anger and flew away while Soraka turned a deaf ear to Jinx's words. Her furious look, however, betrayed her annoyance and spoke all the words she didn't say.

"What are you looking at?" Jinx barked when she noticed Irelia's stare.

"Just a brat whining and blaming everyone for her own mistakes." She ran back to her lane without waiting for Jinx's answer. She ran into the forest in order to go around Diana and strike her by surprise. The Scourge of the Moon was making her way on the path when Irelia dashed at her. Two blades flew at full speed towards the assassin. She managed to dodge the first one, but the second blade stabbed her right leg. She winced in pain and lunged at Irelia. Her curved blade cut through Irelia's side. Moving back, Irelia analyzed the situation in half a second: Diana was wounded, and her leg could barely carry her. If she could force the assassin to put her weight on the right leg, she would win the fight. Propelling one of her blade to her opponent, Irelia struck, aiming for Diana's left side. The assassin jumped to the right, and as soon as she landed on her right foot, she collapsed onto the ground. A loud noise reached their ears: the two turrets defending the Nexus had fallen. Irelia had to recall to the fountain. Diana took advantage of her distraction to swing her blade. Irelia felt a sharp pain in her chest. She managed to roll aside to dodge a fatal hit. An explosion occurred, shaking the ground: the Nexus had been destroyed. Diana helped Irelia up.

"Nice fight." She said.

Irelia nodded, leaning with her hand on her knees. The teleportation spell took them to the Fountain Yard. The pain disappeared immediately, but Irelia's body was still aching a bit. Next to her, all her teammates looked completely fed up with Jinx's behavior. Nocturne took off at once while Veigar walked back to the Institute, dragging his staff behind him. Irelia walked to Soraka who was distractingly looking at Jinx mumbling to her guns.

"Soraka, can I talk to you for a moment?"

The Starchild turned her gaze to her and followed her further where nobody would bother them.

"Has Karma already contacted you?"

Soraka scowled. "Why would she contact me?"

"We will gather with other Ionian champions tonight in the training center at 2AM. It's extremely important. Will you be there?"

The healer retorted: "Easy there. What's going on?"

"It is for Ionian business. We'll explain everything tonight. We need you to be there. In the meantime, keep your distances with the Noxian, even more than before."

"But..."

"Please Soraka, don't ask questions. Not here. I promise that everything will be explained tonight."

"Alright. I will be there," she replied, utterly confused.

After a quick shower, Irelia tried to sleep, but her mind was on fire. A gentle knock pulled her out of her thoughts. She opened the door, surprised to find Ahri.

"Hi," Irelia said coldly.

"Oh, am I bothering you?" Ahri asked.

Irelia sighed and replied with a more gentle tone: "No, not at all. Sorry, it's been a long day."

"I understand. I saw your match."

"I haven't seen you in two days. How's everything going? What do you think about the League, now that you are getting used to it."

"Everything is great. I really like it here. It is way more than what I expected. Some champions are very nice."

Irelia didn't answer as she was thinking about the meeting which had to take place in a few hours.

"I'm going to have dinner with Garen, Ezreal and Lux. Do you want to join?"

After a hesitation, Irelia said: "Okay, why not."

On the path to the town, Irelia asked: "You seem to hang out with Lux a lot."

"She's the one always dragging me everywhere. It's like she can't stop. Her brother is very nice too."

"I'm not sure you've ever seen him on the battlefield. It feels like he is a whole other person. His real personality is way better than this monster he turns into every time he's called to the Rift. Who else do you go out with?"

"I sometimes see Yasuo around. He's pretty talkative, and I end up chatting with him for hours every time I bump into him. It is amazing how extended his knowledge is."

They walked past a small shop where mechanical figures stood in the store front. Irelia knew the merchant: he had come from Piltover to avoid concurrency. His business ran quite well and his products like clocks, toys and other decorative items were popular. Ahri carried on talking while Irelia was distractingly looking at the store sign.

"I've also seen Leblanc a few times."

At the sound of these words, Irelia's body tensed.

"Lux told me to avoid her, but she's not bad at all. Actually, she helps me a lot."

"Helps you in what way?"

"Oh, it's a bit like you. You know, she explains what I don't understand, or guide me if I'm looking for something in particular."

"I don't want to criticize, but I think Lux is right," Irelia coldly said "You should keep your distances with Leblanc."

"Look, I know you don't like Noxians nor anything that has to do with Noxus, but she treats me right. She's almost the only one who approached me and made the first move."

"Ahri, there are Noxians and then there is Leblanc. Did she tell you where she's from?"

"She told me she came from the catacombs of Noxus, a kind of underground city."

"And how much do you know about this place?"

The Nine-Tailed Fox remained silent and Irelia sighed. "This is one of the darkest places in Runeterra. This metropolis is overrun by secret societies led by dark mages. I don't know much more about this nor do I know how much Leblanc is involved in this, but it can't be good."

Ahri opened her mouth to talk, but Irelia snapped her. "Now, I gave you my warning and I'll let you make your own decisions about this. Perhaps I'm wrong and perhaps Leblanc is actually a good person who comes from a bad place. It's up to you, and I will respect your choice."

The new champion looked offended, and Irelia wondered if she hadn't been a bit too direct with her. She didn't want to argue with her about that though, hence why she had clearly spoken her mind.

They walk in a deep silence until they reached the intersection where they were supposed to meet Garen, Ezreal and Lux. The Demacian siblings were already waiting. Lux smiled and waved when she saw the Ionians.

"How are you doing, guys? Ezreal told us he would be a bit late. He'll join us at the restaurant."

"Alright. We're following you," Ahri said.

"Are you okay, Irelia?" Garen asked "You look a bit...distracted."

"Yeah, everything's cool."

"She's always like this, Garen," Lux smirked.

"It's been a while since we last went out together," he told Irelia.

"I know. I've been pretty busy the last few weeks. I'm sorry."

They kept chatting until they reached their destination. It was a modest place in the street. Ezreal joined them half an hour later, shouting that he was starving.

"Where have you been?" Garen asked the young man.

"I was writing a letter to the Piltover Antique Museum."

"Is it about that manuscript your found?" Irelia said "Nasus told me about it."

Ezreal looked at her in surprise. "Not about that. I found another abandoned place which might be fascinating to explore, but I need financial support and specific gear to reach this place."

"Where is it and how did you find out about it?" Lux asked.

"Sometimes your adventures start in the pages of a book. I stumbled upon an old legend saying that in the coldest lands of the Freljord, lie the ruins of an ancient castle. Problem is that this castle is under a frozen lake, which is why I need specific gear in order not to freeze my ass over there."

"And you think the museum will agree?"

"Sure. After all, I've made them rich by bringing back all the stuff I found."

"So when will you leave?"

"Probably next week. I need to get the equipment first."

"Or you can ask Lissandra for a hand," Garen joked.

"I could actually use her power, but I'd like to come back here alive."

"Who's Lissandra?" Ahri asked.

"A champion from the Freljord," Lux answered. She then began to inform Ahri about the political situation in the northern lands. Irelia barely paid attention, as she her mind drifted towards the incoming meeting.


	6. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

Later that night, she left the group, while they were still drinking and laughing around the table.

"Why are you leaving now?" Garen asked, his cheeks reddened because of alcohol.

"I have something to do."

"At this time? Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Lux said.

"No, it can't." Her curt and cold tone put an end to the discussion. She mumbled a "good night" and walked back to the Institute, ignoring their gazes.

When she entered the training room, Karma, Yi, Shen, Yasuo, Akali and Kennen were already there. Soraka came in five minutes later with Lee Sin.

"Thank you all for coming here tonight," Karma began. "I wouldn't have gathered here if it weren't for a matter of the utmost importance. Irelia and I have good reasons to believe that Noxus is preparing another attack on Ionia. Noxian spies, entrusted with the task of collecting information about our political weaknesses, have been captured in Ionia. I attended a meeting in Ionia, and here is what they have decided: all the champions will remain in the institute to take action from the inside. The Noxian champions are also involved in the situation, and we will need to keep an eye on them. Plus, the Ionian war council will transfer their orders and information to us, which will allow us to be more efficient."

"Wait," Soraka said. "Can you provide us with more details. Do we know anything about this Noxian attack."

"Unfortunately, we will have to get all this information ourselves, since the spies were killed in their cells. This confirms the presence of Noxian infiltrators in our lands. The war council wants to focus on them while we will be assigned with gathering clues from here. They haven't contacted me about the process yet, but I will let you know as soon as they do."

"How about the Noxian champions? How shall we deal with them?" Shen asked.

"Because the spies have been murdered, we are certain Noxus knows that we discovered their plans. It's safe to assume that the champions have been briefed."

"I don't think we should change our behavior towards them," Yasuo patiently said. "We are already on bad terms with them, and if we are even more aggressive with them, we might as well just declare war. It obviously doesn't mean that we have to remain blind to their actions. We must be all the more careful when speaking to each other. We cannot let any information leak and reach undesirable ears."

"I agree with Yasuo." Yi said before adding: "I suggest we wait for the council's orders before taking action."

"What do you think about it?" Karma asked, scanning the champions in front of her.

"Seems like a good plan," Shen said. "I think we should currently adopt a passive attitude, at least until we know what to do."

"I'm in," the Starchild said.

"So am I," Akali added.

"Lee, Irelia? We haven't heard you yet."

"Sounds good," Lee Sin nodded. "I don't see any objection."

"The same goes for me," Irelia agreed. Her voice was assured, but her thoughts had been drawn by her conversation with Ahri earlier. She had said that Leblanc had approached her to make friends. Irelia doubted it was her actual reason. She promised herself to keep her eyes on Leblanc and to inform Ahri if the situation got out of hand.

The next day, all the champions had a day off to relax. In the morning, Irelia went to Lux's room. The mage had just woken up and was still in her nightshirt.

"Hi Lux," Irelia started before she could say a thing. "I need a favor. Could you help me?"

Lux rubbed her eyes and looked behind Irelia, as if to make sure there was nobody else. "Sure. What can I do for you?"

"I need you to keep an eye Leblanc, especially when she's around Ahri."

The Lady of Luminosity raised her head at the name of the Deceiver. She stepped aside, inviting Irelia in. "I've already warned her about Leblanc," she said. She reached a large bowl on a small table and splashed water on her face.

"I know this. I told her the same thing, but I don't think she will listen."

"Why do you want _me_ to watch her? I thought you were her mentor."

"Her mentor, not her mom. You seem closer to her than me, and I will soon be very busy. Besides, she might think my opinion about Leblanc is negative because I'm Ionian."

"Is it not?" Lux innocently said, drawing a furious look from Irelia. "Why do you think Leblanc must be kept under surveillance? I know you don't like Noxians, but it's a little too much, don't you think? Champions cannot harm each other within this place."

"You know as well as I do that Leblanc is more dangerous than any other Noxian here. Plus, I'm not asking you to protect Ahri, just to watch and listen. If you hear anything weird or suspect, I'd like you to report to me."

Lux frowned."Suspect? Like what?"

"Anything that could lead to a form of manipulation."

"Yeah, coming from the Deceiver...," Lux sarcastically started.

"Lux, this is serious," Irelia coldly snapped her.

The young girl raised her hands and walked to the window where she stared at the outside. "Okay, okay. Whatever you order ma'am. I'm wondering something though: trying to manipulate a champion within the walls of the Institute and in front of everyone is not an easy task, and I don't think Leblanc's only motives are enough of a reason to start such a thing. Imagine how shameful and dangerous it would become if she were discovered."

Irelia patiently listen to her, and Lux turned her blue eyes towards her.

"If you don't act alone, however, it will not be as much of a threat to you since you share the fault."

"Can you please stop beating around the bush?"

"This whole thing is bigger than Leblanc, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

"And can you explain it to me?"

Irelia was determined to remain laconic. "I can't. Not now. Will you do what I asked?"

Lux let out a deep sigh. "I will because Ahri is my friend and because Demacia has always been in good terms with Ionia."

Irelia had a smile and she stepped closer to the mage. "One last thing: I'd like you to keep it for yourself. Don't tell anyone: not Garen, not even Ahri."

"As you wish."

Irelia could see that Lux still had many questions in mind, but the cold attitude of the Ionian stopped her from asking them.

"Than you, Lux. I'll owe you big for this."

"Don't mention it. Whenever you have time today, you should go to the park. The yordles are having a picnic and they have invited everyone. You look like you could chill out a bit."

Irelia thanked her once more before taking her leave. She knew she wasn't the most delicate or warm-hearted person, and that her words often hit hard, but she hated wasting time, especially when it came down to political business.

The sun was shining bright, warming up the air. Irelia decided to follow Lux's advice and go to the park, as she had nothing else to do. On the way to her room, she ran into Talon. The Noxian was wearing a traveling outfit and carrying a bag on his shoulder. His eyes followed Irelia as she walked by, completely ignoring the assassin. She picked up a book in her room and made her way to the park. The place was a bit far away, but the path was pleasant, and the high trees formed a shield against the sun rays. The park was built around a lake. A small group of people gathered on a grassy spot caught Irelia's attention. The yordle parties were extremely popular and it was a good way to unwind. All the yordles were present, except for Keld. Teemo waved when he saw Irelia. "How are you doing today? You're a bit early, so it's not entirely ready, but make yourself comfortable."

Poppy, Tristana and Rumble were cooking in a giant pot, and the smell made Irelia's stomach growl.

"Thanks Teemo."

She walked a bit further and sat under a tree, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees. She spotted Jarvan who was speaking with Vi, Caitlyn, Yasuo, and Xin Zhao. A bit later, Irelia's head became heavy, and she started nodding off. Footsteps, along with a "Katchoo" coming from her right pulled her out of her drowsiness with a startle. She looked around, but didn't see anything.

"I'm right here!" Jinx said, tapping her left shoulder. "Why are you staying like this?"

"Like what?" Irelia retorted.

Jinx crouched next to her. She still had her monkey toy in her hands. "All alone and stuff. You could join the Snoresville clan over there."

"I don't see you around many people either," she said on the same tone.

"Because I scare them of course."

"I wonder why." Staring at her, Irelia realized something was off. "It's weird seeing you without all your weaponry."

"There was no point in bringing them here. I feel naked without my guns, though. You know that feeling?"

Irelia wondered why Jinx was even talking to her right now. "I don't like relying on my weapons too much. You should try letting go."

Jinx grimaced, as if it was the worst advice possible. Laying her eyes on the toy, Irelia asked: "Where did you get that?"

"I bought it."

"Bought it?"

"Yeah, I gave the owner something way more precious than money, though: the chance for him to know how much he cares about his own life," Jinx replied with a savage smile.

"That's what I thought," Irelia sighed, averting her eyes from Jinx's pink gaze.

"How about that new champion?" the Loose Canon asked.

"She's fine."

"When are you going to introduce me? I want to know what she's like."

Irelia hesitated. Was it a good idea to introduce Jinx to Ahri? After all, it was best to know your possible allies on a battlefield.

"Maybe today if she comes. I'm sure you'll scare her as well."

Jinx jumped up her feet. "Perfect! I'll be around."

She smacked Irelia's back, a gesture she probably wanted friendly, but nonetheless violent.

About an hour later, the crowd around the yordles had grown larger, and Irelia stood up to join them. She nodded at Yasuo when the latter walked past her, an apple in his hand. Lux and her brother were there, chatting with Ashe, Tristana and Rumble. Irelia's blood froze when she saw Ahri walking towards her next to Leblanc. The Deceiver was wearing casual clothes, which contrasted the revealing outfit she put on for every match. Without her crown, cape and staff, she was unrecognizable...except for the cunning light within her eyes. As far as she could remember, Irelia had only seen her outside the Rift a few times. Concealing her anger and discomfort, Irelia greeted both of them. While Ahri answered with enthusiasm, Leblanc remained emotionless, a mask she seemed never to take off.

"I didn't expect to see you here," the fox-lady said. "I know you've been pretty busy."

"Have you?" Leblanc asked.

"I'm sorry for not spending more time with you," Irelia told Ahri, completely shutting Leblanc out. "Maybe they should've asked Lux to help you instead of me: she has more free time."

"I'm already used to how the League works, actually. It's not very hard, and she's helping me out too," Ahri retorted, glancing at the Noxian.

"It is my pleasure and honor to assist the new champions," the latter said.

Her mushy tone exasperated Irelia who couldn't hold back her words. "Is licking their boots part of the help too?"

She smiled inside when Leblanc's face contracted.

"I am only ensuring that the new recruits are safe. You know as well as I do that this place is not the heaven it pretends to be. Danger comes from all sides, and often from the least expected ones."

"Great advice from a Noxian who lies ninety-five percent of the time," Irelia spat the word _Noxian_ with violence.

"Are you gonna shut up?" Ahri shouted, drawing attention on the two rivals.

"I'll talk to you later," Irelia told her. She turned her back to Leblanc and walked away.

Clenching her fists, she left the area. Instead of heading back to the Institute, she went to Gragas' tavern, sure nobody would be there. The fresh air inside cooled down her burning skin. The room was completely empty, and a snoring echoed from behind the counter. Gragas was sleeping on a large couch, probably enjoying some peacefulness to take a rest. He woke up as soon as Irelia laid eyes on him, as if alerted by a sixth sense.

"I didn't mean to wake you up," Irelia apologized.

"No problem," Gragas snarled, still half asleep. "Your company is always welcome. What can I offer you? I received a brand new mead from Bandle City. Do you want to give it a shot?"

"Why not."

Gragas went down his cellar and came back with a small barrel. He poured the mead in a glass and added a bit of sugar.

"So tell me: why aren't you at the party by the lake?"

"I don't like it when there are too many people around."

Gragas burst out into laughter. "This is the advantage of having an enormous tummy like mine. It keeps people away."

Irelia chuckled and took a sip.

"It's weird to see this place this empty," she said.

"Feels good, actually," Gragas replied, "and the company of a pretty lady is all the more appreciated."

"I see you have perfected your skills in complimenting. I remember when you got here: most champions thought about you as a rude and macho man, but you've improved your behavior. Is there a reason behind this?"

Gragas shrugged: "I assume I grew tired of the critiques and I didn't want my tavern to be frequented only by men. It would have tarnished my reputation."

To Irelia's astonishment, Gragas blushed.

"Is it the only reason?" she teased him.

The barman mumbled some incomprehensible words.

"Who's the lucky lady?" Irelia smiled.

Gragas loudly cleared his throat. "Her name is Lyana. She is a summoner."

"Charming. How did you meet her?"

"She stopped by a few years ago. We chatted, and ever since she's comes here almost every night."

"A few years ago? And neither of you made the first step?"

"How could I?" Gragas suddenly boomed, startling Irelia. "Forgive me. I didn't mean to speak this loud. I mean she's a renowned summoner, and look at me."

"Wait, don't tell me she is this woman with red hair who always sits by the fireplace."

"Yes she is."

"Do you really think she would come here every day if she..."

The door opened, blowing out the candle next to Irelia. They both gazed at Akali, who seemed surprised to find a customer.

"Hi guys," she said. "Why are you not at the party?"

"Same reason as you: too many people," Irelia replied.

Akali took a seat next to her. "Too many Noxians, you mean."

"I only saw Leblanc, and it was enough to make me leave."

"Well, they are all there now. How are you doing Gragas? Long time no see."

"Usual stuff," the latter retorted. "Is this an Ionian meeting or something? What can I serve you, Akali?"

"Same thing as always, and to answer your question, yes it is a secret meeting."

"It's no longer a secret if you tell everyone," Irelia noticed.

Akali grinned. "I know. I'm just kidding. We avoided the party for the same reasons, but I didn't know Irelia was actually here. Vi told me she had stormed out after an altercation with our dear lady Leblanc. I stayed a bit and left when I saw the Noxian pack show up."

Gragas listened without saying anything. He, like everyone else, was perfectly aware of the animosity between Ionians and Noxians and reckoned it was none of his business.


	7. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

Half and hour later the door opened again, and a lady with red hair came in. Gragas' eyes twinkled.

"Alright, I think it's time for us to go," Irelia announced, jumping off her stool.

"Why?" Akali asked, unaware of the situation.

Irelia grabbed her wrist and yanked, forcing the ninja up. "Have a good day Gragas, and thanks for the drinks!"

"See you!"

Once out, Akali freed her wrist and asked: "What the hell are you doing?"

"I just want to leave them together. The tavern is empty. It might be their chance to have a serious conversation."

Akali frowned, and a large smile appeared on her face when she understood. "Wow, really? I've never imagined Gragas being the romantic style."

"It surprised me too, to be honest."

They wandered towards the institute and, as they walked past the empty Fountain Yard, they heard a male voice shouting. They exchanged looks and decided to look into it. Three figures were standing in the shadow of an oak tree. Irelia and Akali immediately recognized the silhouettes of Darius, Katarina and Swain. They both froze at the same time and quietly hid behind a tree, cocking an ear to the Noxians.

"... not what you told us, Swain!" Darius yelled.

"And what did you think it would be like?" Swain answered with an ice-cold voice "You thought you'd just smash heads and spill blood? Wake up! This is not how it works. Even though we have been discovered, the Ionians know nothing about our ways and we..."

A croak echoed in the air, silencing the Grand General.

"We'll finish this discussion later."

"But...," Darius started.

"I said _enough,_ " Swain barked."If you dare question me again, Darius, not even your brother will be able to save you."

Irelia had never seen the Noxian general this furious. With his features twisted by anger and his hoarse voice, he disturbingly looked like Beatrice. The Ionians fell back in silence and reached the Institute. They decided to go to the training room to talk, sure nobody would be there.

"They are rather confident," Irelia said when they closed the training room's door behind them.

"You think so? They didn't seem to agree on their methods."

"I was thinking about the fact that they were talking like this in the middle of the Institute. Why would they risk being heard?"

"I don't know for sure," Akali shrugged. "Should we report this to Karma?"

"I'll do it when I see her, but I'm afraid we don't have any new information. This just confirms that the Noxian champions are involved."

"Maybe not all of them. We are sure about Swain, Darius, Draven, Katarina and probably Vladimir."

"If Katarina is in this, Talon certainly is too, and probably the whole du Couteau family tree. What surprises me is that Swain remains here. If he leads them, he should be in Noxus."

"Even Swain can't break the rules of the League. Besides he may have someone doing his job in Noxus while he supervises everything from here."

"It is exactly what we are doing," Irelia scowled. "Don't underestimate his power and influence. I'll inform Karma as soon as possible. Maybe Swain is a good starting point to get answers. We'll see what comes from Ionia."

"Do you think there is something like... above Swain? Sure he's the Grand General in Noxus, but what if he's taking orders from someone else?"

"This is a possibility, but we can't dive into conclusions like this right away."

They parted, and Irelia went back to her room. It was only the middle of the afternoon, but she felt as tired as after a match. Although the yordle party would last until late at night, she wouldn't go back there, as most people started drinking from the evening until the end, which would make the Noxians even worse. A bit later, she checked the match schedule. She had two fights the next day and one the day after. As to Ahri, she, again, had been selected thrice. Irelia spent the rest of the day on the balcony at the top of the Institute's main building, watching the sun setting behind the mountains.

Karma knocked on her door three days later.

"What have you learned?" Irelia asked as they were sitting on the couch.

"The war council has tracked down the assassins, but haven't found anything yet. They have discovered their hideout in Yrioma, but the whole place has been burnt to the ground."

"Those assassins have probably left Ionia."

"I think so. Councilor Quyra told me they had reinforced the checks in the harbor, but it won't make any difference. If they managed to get in, they can get out."

"So what is their next lead?"

"They decided to stay away from Noxus for the moment. If they send a spy and they get captured in the Noxian capital, it will be as good as a declaration of war, which is what we want to avoid. On the other hand, we might be able to step in. I asked Shen to spy on Darius and Draven. They are apparently leaving the Institute for a few days to go to the south. They have to deliver an important message, but our information ends here."

"Why send two people to deliver a message? Swain could send Beatrice."

"Maybe they need to discuss something that cannot merely be written on paper."

"The most obvious action would be to send someone to follow them," Irelia thought "but how can we know it's not a trap?"

"We can't."

"It must be," Irelia insisted. "Akali and I eavesdropped an argument between Darius and Swain. Swain was furious because Darius would not agree with his ways. He pulls the strings withing the Institute, so why send Darius and Draven, the two most violent Noxians for a diplomatic mission? It doesn't make any sense."

Karma carefully looked at the map on the wall. "We do not know how far they will go. Do you have any idea what their destination may be?"

"There is an old mining city, Steelcliff, which was once under the Noxian influence. They used to provide Noxus with metal for weapons and armors, but the city has been betrayed and destroyed by the Noxians themselves. The air is said to be extremely toxic because of the chemical weapons Noxus used against them."

"The same they used in Ionia?" Karma asked.

"Not exactly. They meant to destroy everything in Ionia, but they still needed the ores when they attacked the city. They poisoned the people, but couldn't foresee the long-lasting effect of the chemical. They have avoided this place for decades."

A disturbing thought started to grow in Irelia's mind. "Do you think they are secretly exploiting the resources in this site?"

Karma turned her gaze to her and replied: "If they actually are, they show an incredible discretion. Many archeologists and scientists have traveled to Steelcliff and none of them has claimed to have seen a living soul there. On the plus side, the Noxians would have found a way to breathe the poisoned air."

"They have created that weapon. They know what's inside," Irelia sighed. "All this is purely hypothetical, of course."

"So what do you suggest?" the Enlightened One asked.

"You said following Darius and Draven would be too risky, in case it is a trap for us. If we get to their destination before them, however, the danger will be lesser."

"We do not know yet if they are going to Steelcliff. It was only a suggestion."

Irelia thought for a good minute. "We can send someone to Steelcliff while someone else would follow them. This would allow us to check if there is anything suspicious in the old city. Besides, if Darius and Draven's destination is not Steelcliff, the person sent there will be able to join the other one for backup."

"We would need a way for them to stay in touch, Karma said. "I believe we can send one person to Steelcliff, but I want at least two people following the brothers. I will review this plan and try to created a communication device. I will also see who fits the best for this mission."

Irelia nodded and took her leave.

A storm was hovering above the Institute. A lightening bolt lightened the dark corridor for one second. Despite the weather, a match was taking place at the moment. Irelia strode to the Fountain Yard to watch it. Huge pavillions had been mounted to protect the summoners and spectators from the rain and wind. The fight had started about twenty minutes before, and all the champions were soaked to the bone. Red team was made of Soraka, Caitlyn, Veigar, Camille and Poppy while Morgana, Jhin, Ahri, Hecarim and Yasuo made up Blue team. Because of the rain, the river had spilled over, flooding the lanes and turning the Rift into a giant muddy puddle. The heavy drops were deafening and reduced the sight to the length of the arm. Blue team seemed to be in trouble: despite the rain, Caitlyn displayed an astonishing and deadly precision, and the sound of her rifle was covered by the thunder. Jinh and Morgana stuck together, hunted down by Camille who seemed to move around easily thanks to the blades she had as legs. Yasuo stood by Ahri to fight against Poppy and Veigar. They all were slipping in the mud, and none of them seemed to take the advantage until Ahri dashed away, followed by Yasuo. The yordles followed them towards the river. Yasuo knew the field extremely well and shouted something Irelia could not understand. The Ionians leaped in the water and spun around. Poppy came first, and Ahri used her charm spell to drag her forward. The water level quickly reached the yordle's shoulders, and her armor slowed down her moves. Yasuo lunged at her, kicking the hammer aside and put his long blade through Poppy's neck, killing her instantly. Veigar appeared a second later and turned back when he saw the body of his teammate sink. Ahri and Yasuo went after him, quickly catching up to the yordle and killing him in the blink of an eye.

Someone stopped next to Irelia, and the Ionian gritted her teeth when she recognized Leblanc, who had her eyes focused on the match. Irelia pretended not to notice her and kept watching, but could not deny the Deceiver's presence and her choice to stand right next to her. The rain was pouring even harder in the Rift, and, even away from the river, the water reached above the champions' knees and way higher for the yordles. All of them suddenly were wrapped in a blue light and teleported back in the Fountain Yard.

The master in charge of the match said: "We have decided to cancel this match and the next one, due to the weather. You may all go back to your homes."

Irelia got out of the pavilion to greet Ahri and Yasuo, but stopped dead when she saw Leblanc who was already next to the Nine-Tailed Fox, passing her arm around her shoulders and taking her away from the yard. A bit further, Yasuo glared at them with his piercing eyes. When the two ladies disappeared, he walked to Irelia and said: "I don't like this. You should keep an eye on them."

"That's what I'm doing," Irelia replied.

The rain was hitting the tent, producing a deafening noise.

"Perhaps you should tell her about the Noxians," Yasuo suggested.

"Later, and only if needed. If they really are friends, I won't mess it up just because Leblanc is Noxian."

"You self-control is impressive. I would be far less tolerant if my ward were hanging around with a Noxian. Do not lot your patience blind you, though."

He left the pavilion, cleaning his sword with a piece of cloth while she remained there, lost in her thoughts.

The storm went on the whole day and night, and the wind's loud whistle kept Irelia awake. After a moment, she got up and changed. Since she could not sleep, she could go to the library and try to find documentation about the Vastaya. She looked at Ahri's door when she walked past it and stopped when she noticed the light inside. Would the fox-lady mind if she bothered her? She wasn't sleeping anyways. Irelia gently knocked and heard Ahri's voice inviting her in. She was sitting at her desk, a pencil in her hand.

"Hey," she started. "Can't sleep either I see." He voice was different, a bit more high-pitched, and when she got closer, Irelia saw her pupils were dilated, and her ears were not as straight as they usually were.

"It's always hard for me to sleep when it's noisy around," Irelia replied while her eyes drifted to the sheet of paper in front of Ahri. She could not understand what it was: all the lines and shapes looked random. Thunder loudly echoed and lightening tore the sky apart. Irelia startled, and Ahri's ears flattened against her head.

"Are you scared storms?" Irelia asked, leaning against the wall and locking her eyes on the Vastaya.

"It's more the roaring of the thunder I'm afraid of. This is why I draw. It soothes my mind somehow and keeps me focused on something else."

"Where does this fear come from?"

Ahri sat back in her chair and fiddled with her pencil. "It reminds of a time I'd rather forget about."

"We all have dark moments in our past. I understand you don't want to talk about it."

Ahri raised her blue eyes on her, and the sorrow and pain filling them struck Irelia. "It's not that I don't want to," Ahri said. "I'm just...not ready yet."

Irelia decided to change the topic since it made Ahri so uncomfortable. "I'd like to apologize for my behavior earlier today. I shouldn't have said this."

"There is no need to apologize. It is actually the first time I see you display your emotions like this. You're usually..."

"Cold. I know that I could use some improvement in this field, but everyone's life teaches them something different."

"Has your life taught you to hide your emotions?"

Irelia looked outside for a moment before replying. "Yes, it has."

Another crack burst out, and Ahri jumped up her chair, her eyes darkened with panic. Irelia calmly got closer and took her hands. "Your past can't reach you here. Like you said: it's from another time. You know, I was going to go to the library, so you want to come with me?"

She would have to put off her research about the Vastaya, but she did not want to leave Ahri on her own. The latter nodded and followed Irelia. The dark corridors were as quiet as a tomb, and only their footsteps and the thunder would disturb the silence. Irelia opened the door to the library, and the soft glide coming from further taught her Nasus was there as well. Ahri carefully scanned the room, impressed by the size of the bookshelves. "This is the first time I see something like this," she said.

"You mean you've never been inside a library?"

"Not one this big. Where do yo find all these books?"

"Most of them are gifts from schools, academies and other libraries across Runeterra. Some of them have been found by a summoner or champion during their travels."

"Have you ever brought anything here?"

"I negotiated the shipping of a hundred books from Ionia two years ago. They were rotting in the undergrounds of the Arcane Library located in the capital city, Yrioma. The librarian almost begged me to give these books a future, so I asked a few merchants to take them here by cart."

"Who reads these books?" Ahri asked.

"Mostly summoners and Nasus. He spends his time here, thirsty for knowledge. Unlike our friends from the Void, he seeks new information in order to keep Runeterra as peaceful as possible. He's extremely curious about ancient civilizations and how they managed to shape the world we live in now."

They made their way towards the light and found the demigod writing with extreme care on a sheet of paper. Next to it was an old book whose pages seemed to have burnt.

"Unusual time for you to come here," Nasus said without even raising his head.

"I thought you might enjoy some company," Irelia said.

Nasus looked at her and his jaws stretched in a smile when he saw Ahri. "Greetings Ahri. I did hope we'd meet again, and here you are. I haven't had the chance to see you fight, but I've heard loud echoes of your performances."

"Thanks. I'm looking forward to seeing you in the Rift."

Irelia raised an eyebrow, knowing Ahri would regret saying this once she'd see Nasus smashing everything. The Curator of the Sands was by far one of the most terrifying enemies you could face in the Fields of Justice.

"What are you working on tonight?" Irelia asked him.

"A translation from ancient shuriman. It is a political critique written by a forgotten poet."

"Poets make the best politicians," Irelia replied.

"Words are the most powerful weapons you can find, and manipulating them the right way will guarantee your success."

"I assume you know a lot about this."

Nasus chuckled "I also know when it does not work."

Irelia noticed the heavy book on the corner of the table. Every champion who had stepped in this library knew this tome: it was the public record about all the champions in the league of Legends. It contained general information about them and was constantly updated. Irelia took it and put it in front of Ahri who opened it. The first page was about Singed.

"What is this for?" Ahri asked.

"It's supposed to help new champions and summoners, but barely anyone touches this book."

Ahri kept skimming, lingering over Lux and Garen's pages. When Leblanc's name appeared, Irelia peaked over her shoulder to take a look.

 _Name: Evaine_

 _Age: Unknown_

 _League name: the Deceiver_

 _Occupation: unknown_

 _Origins: Noxus_

 _Evaine was forced to join the League of Legends after the death of her husband, leader of the Black Rose. After the take down of the guild by Demacia, Evaine was taken to the Institute as a new champion. She is not allowed to leave the Institute and must remain under surveillance._

"What is the Black Rose?" Ahri asked.

"It was a secret guild operating in Noxus five years ago," Nasus replied. "They acted as spies and assassins in order to establish Noxian supremacy. They made one little mistake which led to their destruction by the Demacian government. Noxus could not step in lest facing heavy charges and seeing their own power being shut down by Demacia."

A grimace twisted Ahri's mouth, but she kept quiet and turned the page. A dead silence settled, only disturbed by Nasus' quill scratching the paper.

"You never told me you had a brother. Where is he?" Ahri suddenly said, pulling Irelia out of her thoughts.

Irelia's look instantly darkened. "He passed away four years ago."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You couldn't know."

"What happened to him?"

"We don't really know. He was working as a squad leader for the Ionian guard. One day, he left with his twelve men, but never came back. We sent a searching party and eventually found them at the edge of the Lust Forest in the south. They were all dead, although none of them had any physical injuries. After examining their bodies, one of our mages came to the conclusion their life force had been sucked away. We never found the creature who did this, although I have been looking for it ever since."

Irelia looked at Nasus who was still writing, and she was sure he hadn't missed a single vowel in her story. An icy shiver ran down her spine as she thought of her brother. Though they were not exactly close, his passing did leave a certain discomfort towards magic.

"Is there anything about you yet?" Irelia asked to change topic.

Ahri startled and jumped to the end of the book. The last page was about Camille, the Steel Shadow.

"How long does it take for them to update this book?" Ahri asked.

"It depends. Between one and two weeks I believe."

She looked outside where the sky had been peaceful for a while.

"Looks like the storm is over. We should get back to sleep."

Ahri put the book back on the corner of the table. "See you later Nasus."

"The pleasure is all mine."

When they arrived in front of Ahri's door, the Vastaya turned to Irelia. "Thanks for being here tonight. I think I needed it. You know, I've face most storms on my own, and it is good to know that someone is by my side."

"You shouldn't be afraid to call for help. It's a sign of strength, not weakness," Irelia stared at her in the eye.

"Now you sound like the Guard Captain," Ahri smiled. "We should travel to Ionia together sometime."

"I guess we can make it happen. We sometimes have a break from the Rift so we can go home. I'll let you know about it."

"Have a good night," Ahri said before closing the door, leaving Irelia alone in the darkness.


	8. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

While Irelia was in the empty training room a few days later, Karma discreetly joined her and handed her a flat stone whose turquoise surface which looked like polish glass.

"This is the communication device which you will use in Steelcliff. It works only in one direction, and you will therefore only be able to receive messages."

"Me?" Irelia asked "Wouldn't it be better to send Akali?"

"To be honest, she's too reckless, and I don't want to send her on a mission like this without supervision. I thought it would be best if you go there while Yi and I follow Darius and Draven. The communication device will only work if I use my power."

"I see. Have you informed Yi already?"

"I have. We will watch the brothers to know when exactly they decide to leave the Institute. As to you, I believe you should go soon. I have asked the War Council to find an excuse so the League won't bother you. When you reach Steelcliff, you'll have to swallow this."

She gave her a small white pill. "It will protect you against the poison. Before you ask, this will work for ten days, and cannot be taken more than once. You will feel sick after eight days, because your body will consider this pill as a danger and create antibodies to neutralize the effects. I will keep you informed, but if after ten days Darius and Draven are not in Steelcliff, you will have to leave the city."

"Any other news?" Irelia asked while taking the pill.

"Katarina and Talon have almost been invisible for a week, which is quite suspicious. I've had Lee investigate this, but so far we've got nothing relevant."

"Fine. I'll leave tomorrow."

"The rain will stop this afternoon," Karma retorted before leaving.

Irelia sighed at the implicit of her last sentence: Karma hated to waste time and wanted her to leave as soon as possible.

A few hours later, just as Karma had said, the sky became clear, and the sun rays hit the soaked ground. Irelia left the Institute and took the road to the south. There was a remote village where she could hire a horse to travel faster. It was possible to ask for a mount in the town around the Institute, but she did not want to draw attention on her departure. The road was empty, and she did not expect to see many people, but she had put on some casual clothes that would keep her away from curious eyes. As to her weapon, she had put the blades in her bag to conceal them. Despite the sun, the track was dusty, and her trousers were soon covered in mud. She reached the village later, and they agreed to lend her a horse. Steelcliff was about a week away from the Institute, and the road winded through rocky mountains. Irelia had been staying at the Institute for a long time and enjoyed her lonely journey, trying not to think about what would come next. Several times, she had to find a way around fallen tree or rock that the violent wind had pushed on the road. Every evening, she stopped only when the darkness totally surrounded her, taking advantage of the afterglow to move further. The temperatures were extremely warm and pleasant, and she almost felt on vacation. Apart from the time she had bumped into a pack of kids playing near the road, her only company was her chestnut horse that did not seem disturbed by the rough paths they were taking.

After a whole day of climbing down, Irelia finally got in sight of the old city. From afar, the place looked like ruins buried in the dust. She took the pill and swallowed it. She left the horse a bit further, hoping to find it when she would come back. She began by scrutinizing the area to be sure nobody was there. The only living beings around were some large hawk-like birds hovering above the destroyed buildings. Two hours later, the Ionian climbed up the ruins of the wall that used to protect the open side of Steelcliff. The other side was surrounded by the giant cliff within which the mines had been dug. The place was plunged into a deafening silence, only disturbed by a light breeze blowing away some dust. After exploring the city, Irelia reached the cliff. The entrance of the mines consisted of four immense gates richly carved with the Noxian banner. An icy shiver ran down Irelia's spine, as she felt insignificant in front of the gates' size. She suddenly felt a burning sensation on her leg. It came from the communication device in her pocket. She took it out and heard Karma's voice.

 _Darius and Draven have left the Institute. If they actually are going to Steelcliff, they will be there in four or five days._

The stone became cold again, and Irelia put it back in her pocket. As she had no magic abilities, she could not use it to answer. She then pulled a stick with a round stone at the end. She shook it and pressed a button, and a white glow appeared, lightening the area. The device came straight from Piltover and was more effective than a torch. Slowly, the Will of the Blades penetrated the darkness of the mines.

The mines were like a maze and were made of a large number of rooms where the miners used to live and stock the metal. The first level was as empty as the city. The dust cape made it look like it had been abandoned for decades. Irelia wondered how it was possible, since the Noxians had destroyed it only a few years prior. The Noxian emblem was still visible on the walls. Exploring further, Irelia stumbled upon a large staircase leading into the depths of a pitch black chasm. She stopped on the edge, letting her last footsteps echoing in the dark. A deep silence invaded the place, and she could only hear the sound of her calm and regular breath. The Ionian hesitated: although she had an extremely good sense of direction, heading down there without more light seemed like a foolish idea. She pressed a button on her torch, and the light shone wider for a moment, sending large waves of light around. Irelia recognized the way she came from. A metallic sound coming from the chasm suddenly startled her. She squat, and spotted a weak green glow in the bottom. She could not tell how far it was, though. Her curiosity aroused, she slowly went down the stairs, reducing the light of her torch and hoping her memory would get her out of there later. The staircase was made of stone, and the steps were large and in good condition. The green light appeared again at the same spot. The bottom of the crevasse was empty: only a long corridor which seemed to lead to the source of the glow. On her guards, and all her senses wide awake, Irelia made her way along the paved track. When she stopped to look at it, her blood froze: the layer of dust on the stone was not as thick as that upstairs, and the path itself looked recent. She needed to move forward and investigate: if her theory happened to be true, this would be the perfect opportunity to find out more about Steelcliff.

Irelia turned off her torch, estimating that from that point anyone would be able to spot it. She walked for half an hour, tiptoeing in the dark, her eyes staring at the light source appearing at regular intervals. When she was close enough, she sneaked behind a large rock and patiently scanned the area. The light seemed to be coming from a crack in the wall. In the cold silence, she walked towards it. The crack was large enough to let two people walk side by side. The green glow illuminated the way: a long and narrow corridor dug within the wall. Not a sound came from the other side. As discreet as possible, Irelia entered the crack, two blades floating in front of her, and two behind. A few minutes later she got to a small room where the light source was located. She stopped dead at the sight of the portal: made of rough stone, it looked like a mirror, displaying her reflection. She instantly knew what it was, as Yrioma, the Ionian capital city, exploited the same devices. The only difference was that the Ionian portals worked with magic while this one seemed to be using technology: there was a copper box in which a long glass tube was connected to the portal. Next to it was an electric device which produced the green light. When the latter appeared, it seemed that the fluid contained in the glass tube was sent to the portal. The whole device worked like a heart, feeding the portal to keep it open.

Irelia wondered why this portal was there if nobody was around. She put her hand through the mirror and a freezing cold sensation took over her whole body. She confidently walked through the portal, hoping not to stumble on someone on the other side. She entered a dark and empty room which seemed to have been dug in the rock. She turned around and saw the portal and the exact same device as on the other side. Walking carefully, her weapon ready to strike, she made her way through a maze of corridors lightened by lanterns fixed on the walls. A repetitive hammering echoed on the right, drawing her attention. Irelia headed towards the origin of the noise, keeping her head cool.

"Artis!" a bestial voice roared "The catalyst in alcove 7B is jammed again. Get you ass over there and fix it."

Irelia startled when a masculine voice answered from behind her. It was coming from a room she had not noticed because of the obscurity.

"Coming. And tell your guys to stop hitting on it all the time. It won't make it work faster."

Irelia turned back without hesitation, and as soon as the door opened, she dashed inside, pinning a man onto the ground, two of her blades floating a centimeter away from his eyes. He was in his thirties, with long curly red hair and freckles covering his face. His nose was crooked, as if it had been broken several times in the past. His eyes widened by fear, he ask with a shaky voice:

"What do you want?"

"I want to know what's going here. Who are you working for and what are you doing in these caves?" Irelia's voice was colder than ice, and the man began to tremble even more.

"Please don't kill me. I've been forced to work here by Noxus. They needed engineers for the machines they use here. I refused at first but they have imprisoned my children and killed my wife. They will only release them when their work here is done."

"What work are you talking about?" Irelia whispered.

"They are extracting all the ore within the caves. I don't know why this metal is so precious to them."

As Irelia stared at him in the eye, he begged: "You have to believe me."

"Who ordered all this?"

"The Grand General of Noxus first came to me nine months ago. His machines were ready, but they needed maintenance and a new source of power to work continuously. We have collected most of the metal in here and..."

"Who's in charge?" Irelia snapped him.

"Commander Rhuska. She was the Grand General's favorite back in Noxus."

Irleia frowned: it was the first time she heard that name.

As she made a move to leave, Artis said: "Wait, please spare my life!"

An idea suddenly sprang to her mind. "Will you come with me to Ionia to testify before the war concil? You will provide evidence of the Noxian threat, and we will put an end to this."

"I can't," he replied, his eyes tearing up. "They will kill me children as soon as they find out I have left the mines. They are all I have left, and I won't abandon them. If you cannot accept my selfishness, feel free to end me now."

His look became fiercer as he spoke of his children, and Irelia knew he wouldn't go anywhere without them.

"Where are they?"

"In the Imperial Prison in Noxus."

The Imperial Prison was the oldest and most heavily guarded prison in Noxus, and perhaps in all Runterra. Irelia had no time to waste by going there. She quickly made her choice and said:

"I will eliminate Rhuska to gain time. Can you help me by sabotaging the machines?"

"Are you mad? What if I get spotted?"

"I'm not forcing you into anything. This is your decision, but listen to me: this might be one of the few opportunities to reduce Noxus' power. You live there, and you know how corrupted and ambitious the government is."

"Are you going to take it down?"

"No, this is not my plan, but just a step towards it. You know as well as I do that Noxus must be kept under control. SO I'm asking you again: will you sabotage the machines?"

"Yes, I can do that," Artis said, a glimmer of hope shining in his dark eyes.

"You will start in five days. Don't ask any questions and, until then, act normally. I will deal with Rhuska when most of the machines are destroyed, and the situation becomes unstable."

"Ruska wanders everywhere here, but she seems to appreciate the upper levels where the temperature is warmer. I have seen her only a few times, and she was always alone. You must be extremely careful if you decide to fight her."

"I know my job. Take care of yours by following my instructions."

The blades flew away from the man who stood up.

"One more thing," he said "the levels below have been abandoned because we have extracted all the ore from the rock. It's a safe hideout for you: nobody ever goes there anymore. You can access those levels by following the corridor until you get to a T intersection. Make a right and then a left. You'll see a small staircase we used as a shortcut."

"Thank you Artis. I will see you later."

The lower levels were full of rubbish left from the ore extraction. The temperature was extremely cold, but it did not bother the Ionian who found a good spot to rest.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

For the next five days, Irelia scouted the mines, remembering every tunnel and room. Four levels were used by the Noxians: the lowest was that where she had met Artis, and seemed to be the quarters where the workers rested at the end of the day. The second and third levels were extremely noisy, as they were the places where the machines and workers extracted the ores. People had to shout all the time to be able to hear one another. These levels were the most crowded, but the amount of steam coming from the machines made sneaking easy. As to the upper level, the air was more clear, and it seemed to be the place where all the plans for the machines were designed. She had also been watching Rhuska, studying her moves and schedule: ever morning, she was in the upper level, walking around the Noxian geologists and engineers, listening to their ideas and opinions. She then spent a few hours in the levels below in order to check if everything was fine and solve the possible issues. In the afternoon, she often went back to the upper level in order to write her reports before sending them to Noxus by ravens. Irelia had also scrutinized her physique and way of moving in order to know more about her. Rhuska was a petite woman in her forties. She had short messy black hair falling in front of her piercing eyes. Despite her look, it dawned on Irelia that this woman was a ruthless killer. Her light and supple gait betrayed years of rough training and every time she stood still, her posture was that of a fighter, patiently waiting for an opening.

In the meantime, Karma had contacted her to inform her that Darius and Draven were approaching and should be arriving soon. Irelia just hoped they would be there before the execution of her plan, as she wanted to know what their business in Steelcliff was. In the middle of the fourth night, the stone became hot, and Irelia heard those words from Karma:

 _We are at the entrance of Steecliff. Draven and Darius have entered the old mines. We will wait one day before following them. Try to spy on them if you manage to stop them._

Irelia left her hideout and silently made her way to the upper level where she was sure Darius and Draven would meet Rhuska. Holding one of her blades in her hand, she moved in the dark, as the electrical lanterns had been turned off to save power for the night. After checking every room, she finally saw light coming from the library. As she got closer, Draven's voice echoed in the empty corridors.

"Why can we not boost the ore extraction? Do you want us to import more machines from Noxus?"

"It's not about the number of machines," Rhuska said "but about the space. We have more than enough machines here, but it's impossible to work faster than this. We have already extracted around 65% of the metal in here. I thought we still had time."

"The Grand General has been working hard," Darius replied "and he wants the men to be ready as soon as possible."

"We are already doing everything we can here, and unless we blow the whole place up, we won't be finished before two months.

Irelia listened carefully, remembering every word of this conversation.

Draven growled and said: "Fine, but you will inform the Grand General yourself, and, trust me, he won't be happy to hear this."

"If the Grand General has a way to boost the extraction, I will be happy to hear it!" Rhuska curtly retorted.

She seemed particularly annoyed by the brothers. Darius handed her a paper.

"You will find the last orders from the General. I suggest you don't lose this document. It's more valuable than your life."

"And probably more than yours!" the Commander said, "Now get yous asses out of my mine!"

Darius and Draven got out, their heavy footsteps echoing in the corridors. Irelia hid in behind the door of the next room and held her breath until they disappeared. She thought for a moment about what she had heard: if everything ran correctly in the mine, Noxus would not be able to take action before at least 2 months. If her plan succeeded the next day, she might be able to buy more time to find out a way to counter Swain's plans.

She rushed towards Artis' room and entered without even knocking, waking up the man with a startle.

"Tomorrow, I need you to destroy as many machines as possible," Irelia said without any form of introduction, "Do you think you can do that?"

"Yeah, but why?"

"You forgot to mention that you had spare machines."

"Because they cannot work without a catalyst, and that's what I intended to destroy."

"It won't be enough. How many machines can you break without getting noticed?"

"There are 25 machines here, 15 of which are functional. I can sabotage...I don't know, maybe 7, but after this I will have to stop, or they will suspect me. What I can do, however, is destroy a few catalysts, and then head in the place where they stock the spare machines. The room is not guarded, and I can destroy all the machines over there."

"It sound like a good plan. Good luck for tomorrow Artis"

The latter smiled before saying "Will I ever know your name?"

"Not right away. Maybe later."

She left him without any additional words.

Irelia tried to sleep for a few hours before the beginning of the plan, but sleep seemed to be avoiding her. When she went back to the upper levels, she remained hidden and watched as all the engineers were called out to fix the broken catalysts. Three hours later, it seemed that Artis had finished his job with the catalysts. Rhuska was also running from one place to another, asking precise questions about the issues. Irelia knew she was aware that someone was destroying the machines on purpose. Irelia could not face her now, not in the middle of the mines. She kept an eye on her, waiting for an opportunity to strike. It presented itself when Rhuska headed to the back of the mines, where Irelia had never been, as it was empty. She followed the commander, unnoticed, to a huge room isolated from the rest of the mine. Metallic colossi were standing there: it was the warehouse where the spare machines were stocked. It was also the place where Artis should have been at the moment. A regular beat broke the silence, and Rhuska walked towards the origin of the noise. Irelia could no longer wait: she didn't want to let Artis be killed. She hit the nearest machine with her weapon and the noise echoed in the room. Artis ceased his business immediately and the place became silent.

"Who are you? May I ask," Rhuska said when she spotted Irelia's figure.

"Someone who's putting an end to your business here," the Ionian replied.

"We are only extracting the ore. There is nothing bad about it."

"To send it to Noxus."

"Well, Noxus has a lot of soldiers to arm." the Commander stepped closer, staring at Irelia in the eye. She then glanced at her weapon and smiled. "These blades are unique, and to my knowledge, only one person in Valoran is able to use their magical abilities. I didn't know they allowed you out of the League for such a long time."

"You just need to know the right people. What did Darius and Draven want?"

"They're oppressing me to boost the production, which I cannot do. I turned them away, and they were not very happy. Perhaps the brothers will meet your friends on their way back to the Institute."

Irelia kept an ice-cold look despite her surprise. How was she aware of all this?

"They can deal with Darius and Draven," she retorted.

"Pity you won't be there to enjoy the show. Maybe I'll pay Yi and Karma a visit sometime."

"You're not going anywhere either," Irelia said, her blades spinning around her.

"Let's see what you're made of, Will of the Blades," Rhuska smiled while drawing out her long curved blade out of its sheath.

Irelia lunged forward, propelling her blades to strike her opponent on both flanks. Rhuska dodged every hit before attacking, swinging her sword at Irelia's head. Her blades gathers in front of her to block the attack. Jumping left and right, the Noxian Commander displayed incredible agility and speed, and only her perfect use of her weapon prevented Irelia from being cut in half. The combat had take them in the middle of the heap of spare machines, where they used the giant metal pieces to take cover and catch their breath. Rhuska's fighting style reminded Irelia of Yi's. The low light gave Rhuska a considerable advantage, as she knew the terrain. She suddenly appeared on Irelia's left side and struck with all her strengths. The Ionian blocked the attack, but got thrown onto the ground by the impact which shook her whole body. She rolled aside just in time to avoid Rhuska's next blow, then jumped up her feet and focused. The edges of her blades turned from red to gold and she felt the power of her weapon run through her veins. She flashed to her opponent, hammering her with strong hits to break her defense. A satisfying sound reached her ears when the curved blade cracked under the repetitive hits, and a glimmer of surprise lit within Rhuska's eyes. The latter ducked and dive rolled behind Irelia. Before she could turn around, Rhuska cut through her back, severing the skin and muscles. An icy and painful shiver took over Irelia as she walked away and turned to face the Noxian.

"You are a bit of a letdown," Rhuska said, "I somehow expected more from you. Maybe Swain is right when he says Ionians are too weak and peaceful to own their own lands."

"Maybe you should stop talking and look behind you," Irelia retorted.

Rhuska's eyes widened as she noticed only three blades were spinning around her opponent. The fourth one pierced through her chest from the back, spilling blood all around. The blade forced its way forward and completely stabbed through Rhuska's body which stopped moving and fell dead on the ground. A deep silence invaded the room, only disturbed by Irelia's hoarse breath. Artis came out from the corner where he was hiding.

"You should go back to the mines," Irelia told him, "They will be less likely to suspect you."

"What about you? You are wounded."

"I cannot stay here. I'll be fine, don't worry."

Artis did not insist when he heard her curt tone.

"Let me at least show you the shortest way out of here."

Irelia nodded, and, ignoring her pain, she followed Artis in silence. The engineer led her to a hidden staircase and said:

"Go up and it's straight ahead. It's the escape route for the Commander."

"Thank you Artis," Irelia replied, "What will happen now that Rhuska is dead?"

"You have damaged the heart and moral of everyone in Steelcliff, and I have ensured that the production is slowed down. I'm not even sure Noxus will continue the extraction here: it will be too expensive to create new catalysts. I will try to see if my children can be freed."

"Will you be alright?"

Artis stared at her, trying in vain to conceal his concern. "Don't worry about me. I hope I will see you again, madam."

"Call me Irelia."

"It was a pleasure meeting you Irelia."

He turned around and ran back to the mines. Irelia watched him fade in the dark and went up the long staircase.

After a painful and exhausting hour, she arrived to a stone door that she pushed. Outside the sky was heavy with dark clouds which would not wait for long to soak the lands. Irelia went back to the place she had left her horse, but it was obviously gone. Hoping her injuries would not get infected, she started walking towards the institute, carefully remaining behind the large rocks on the path. The rain started soon after, and the cold water appeased the burning cut in her back. She walked for hours before taking a rest under a tree whose large leaves provided an improvised roof. After another hour of walking, she glanced two horses trotting in her direction. Despite the rain, she immediately knew it was Karma and Yi. They probably recognized her as well, as they pushed their steeds and hurried towards her. Yi jumped off his horse before it even stopped.

"What happened in there?" He asked. "Where are Darius and Draven? And what happened to you?"

"Most of the machines in the mines are out of use," Irelia panted, "And the Commander in charge is dead."

"So our hypotheses were true," Karma said. "We will discuss this later. Where are you hurt?"

"In the back. It happened during my fight with Rhuska."

"We'll take you back to the Institute first, and then we shall talk."

Yi mounted his horse and helped Irelia sit behind him. The riders spurred their horses and galloped towards the Institute. Helped by Karma's magic the horses seemed to fly on the path without getting any tired. They kept riding the whole day and night, and Irelia eventually fell asleep on Yi's shoulder.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

When she woke up, she was lying on a bad in Soraka's infirmary. She looked around, but there was no one else. She tried to sit, and nausea took over her. Closing her eyes, she slipped back to sleep without noticing it. She opened them a bit later and saw a long white tail floating next to her.

"How are you feeling?" Ahri asked with a gentle voice filled of concern.

"Not really good," Irelia replied. She had a splitting headache, and her vision was blur. "It'll pass."

"You disappeared for days without telling anyone," the fox-lady said with a hint of resentment. "And now you just show up here. What happened?"

Irelia sighed, wondering what lie she could make up. The door suddenly opened, and Soraka entered followed by Karma, and Ahri glared at them and stood up. "I'll talk to you later when you feel better."

She left before Irelia could say anything.

Karma walked to her bed and gave her a tiny bottle filled with a transparent liquid.

"It's to neutralize the effects of the anti-poison. I just finished it. It will make you sleep and you should be alright when you wake up."

"I'll finish healing your wounds while you sleep: I don't want you to move like a worm," Soraka added

Irelia drank up and fell asleep two minutes later.

The next day, she woke up at sunset and sat down. She was indeed feeling way better. She ran her hand on her back and felt a thin scar under her fingers, but there was no pain. She dressed up and went straight to Karma's room to report what had happened in Steelcliff. The Enlightened One patiently listened to her, only interrupting her to ask for more details about certain parts of her story.

"You did the right thing by sabotaging the machines," she sighed, "but killing the commander will have serious consequences. You said her name was Rhuska, and it's not the first time I hear it. She is, or was, one of Swain's most loyal allies and was loved by the Noxian people. Their devotion to her was limitless, and her death will surely cause some mess, especially when they know that Ionia is directly involved. Nevertheless, her death will buy us time, and time is the most precious thing we can afford at the moment. I will send a thorough report to the war council and wait for their instructions."

"How about Darius and Draven? Rhuska told me they knew you were following them."

"We didn't see them. They must have taken another route to come back here. As to Talon and Katarina, they are still out. I suggest you take some rest now: the matchmakers and masters are furious about your departure, and the summoners are getting impatient. I convinced them to give you a day off tomorrow claiming that you were sick, but after tomorrow, your matches will start again."

Irelia nodded and took her leave. She headed to the park to unwind and enjoy the last lights. The air was warm, and she remained by the lake until late in the evening. She had slept so much she was not tired anyways. By the corner of her eyes, she saw a figure walking towards her, and she recognized Lux. Thanks to the bright moon, she could see that her face was tensed.

"You're finally back! Where the hell have you been all this time? Do you know how messed up things got here?"

"What are you talking about?" Irelia asked.

"I'm talking about Ahri. She has improved spectacularly in the matches and everyone is now fighting to be her summoner."

"But?" Irelia asked, hearing the rising tone at the end of Lux's sentence.

"It all comes from Leblanc."

"What?" Irelia raised her voice.

"Well, since you were gone, I guess Ahri had to turn to someone else."

Irelia coldly stared at Lux.

"You asked me not to do anything, only to watch and report."

"I know, and I might have made a mistake. What about you? I thought you were good friends with Ahri."

"Hey, don't blame me! I see her very often, but we never discuss about fighting nor train together. I have followed her, and she met Leblanc in the small yard behind the old bridge at least six times while you were away."

"And?"

"They train like crazy together. I think Leblanc teaches her about the magic she uses."

Irelia swore out loud, starting the young woman. "Forgive me. It's not your fault. I will take care of this tomorrow. Thank you for your help, Lux."

"I told you before: Ahri is my friend, and I don't want her to follow the wrong people. You still haven't answered my first question."

"Karma sent me out to take care of...something."

"Can't you be more precise? What could be important enough to drag you away from the League for such a long time?"

Irelia sighed at her stubbornness. Was it a good idea to tell Lux? She would soon find out anyways, as would all Demacia.

"Before I tell you what's happening, you have to promise me not to give it away. Do not tell your brother, or Demacia will be at war once again."

The young mage stared at her, a twist of concern on her face. "I promise I'll keep it for myself."

"Here's the situation: Noxus is about to invade Ionia and take down our government. They are preparing their armies, and I destroyed an important part of their supplies."

"Invading Ionia again?" Lux's eyes widened. "I thought their defeat had cooled Noxus down. What does the war council say?"

"I'm not sure they know what they're doing. They commanded to adopt a passive attitude, which I can understand since we had no evidence of Noxus' plans, but now it's different. I know them, and I know they are the complete opposite of Noxians, always waiting. This is exactly what happened in the last war, and they are repeating the same mistakes. I will talk to Karma about this."

"Why do you want me to keep it a secret? My brother could help."

"It will only precipitate Noxus' actions."

"They will be more likely to make mistakes. If the Ionian council isn't doing anything, the war will be inevitable, and you know Ionia is no match for Noxus."

"I know, but the decision is not up to me, but you have to keep one thing in mind: if Demacia gets involved in this, the number of casualties will be all the more higher."

"Demacia will never let Noxus rise again!" Lux curtly said, her eyes twinkling ferociously. She turned her back to Irelia to walk away.

"Lux don't ..."

"I won't tell anything," she snapped her, "but I won't stand still either. Do you think Noxus will stop after Ionia? They will turn their eyes on us, and I can't let that happen." She strode away, leaving Irelia without additional words.

The next morning, Irelia checked the match schedules. Ahri had three matches on that day, which meant it would be hard to find time to talk to her. As to the next day, Irelia had been selected three times as well. Her blood froze when she saw that the first match consisted in a fight between Ionians and Noxians. She spectated Ahri's first match against Akali and had to admit that Lux was right. The Nine-Tailed Fox was taking out all her enemies without any hesitation, displaying skills Irelia had never thought of, but which seemed somehow familiar. Irelia's heart skipped a beat when it dawned on her: it was Leblanc's fighting style. How was it possible that Ahri had learnt so much from her in this little time? Irelia had clearly underestimated Leblanc's influence She knew it was her fault: she had not spent enough time with Ahri, too busy with her own business. At the end of a flawless match for Ahri's team, the champions appeared in the Fountain Yard, and Irelia walked to the Vastaya. The young woman smiled when she saw her mentor.

"I see you're doing way better!" she said. "I didn't expect to see you here today."

"Karma helped me out. I saw your match, and you're doing a great job. I can't tell how much you've improved since you first came here. I am impressed, really."

"I should thank Leblanc..." Ahri's words died after the name of the Deceiver.

"Go on," Irelia said.

Ahri took a deep breath, knowing it was a sensitive topic. "She's been good to me, despite what you may think. She offered to train with me a few times a week."

Irelia stared at her for a good minute before replying. "I am your mentor, not you mom. If you enjoy staying with Leblanc, I won't say anything, as long as it doesn't have bad consequence, and you shouldn't be afraid or ashamed to speak about it in front of me. All I can do is advise you and I will respect your decisions."

"Thank you Irelia. I wish we had more time spent together."

Irelia was about to reply when she saw Akali stride past the platforms behind Ahri. Her eyes caught the dark bruise around her left eye and a long scratch which could not have come from her match. Ahri followed her gaze and said: "She was already like this before the match. I'll let you talk to her."

"We're not done with our conversation."

"It's fine, I'll get some rest now. Lulu and Tristana are inviting me to a yordle bar tonight, if you want to join, feel free."

"What bar?" Irelia said absently, barely paying attention to the answer as Akali exchanged looks with her.

"It's on the square in front of the small clock tower."

"I'll be there," Irelia said. "I'll see you later. Good luck on your next matches. I'm sure you'll do great."

The fox-lady walked away, and Irelia went to Akali.

"Follow me," the latter said.

Quietly they went back to the Institute and then to Soraka's room. When they came in, the healer was leaning over a motionless body. Irelia recognized Lee Sin, and her anger rose at the sight of him: his body was all bruised and large cuts torn his skin.

"What the hell happened?" Irelia asked, turning to Akali and observing her carefully, noticing red scratches on the other side of her face, shoulders and arms.

"We had an altercation with Noxians."

"Within the Institute?"

"No. We were asked by Karma to keep an eye on Katarina and Talon. We tracked them down as they were going northwards. On the way, they met a group of Noxians. I don't know what for, but it was obvious they had been informed that we were on their heels. The Noxians ambushed us, and Katarina and Talon disappeared. We managed to make it out, but here is the most concerning: these Noxians were not mere soldiers. They were trained ans skilled assassins. They were six in total, and we could take three out, but..."Her voice died as she glanced at Lee Sin.

"When did you come back?" Irelia asked.

"In the night."

Irelia's eyes met Soraka's, and she wondered if she had the same idea in mind.

"Have you told to Karma yet? She need to relay this information to Ionia as fast as possible."

"Yes, I have," Akali replied."She said these assassins were probably on their way to Ionia."

"That's what I thought," Irelia replied. "We have to be more active here and stop waiting for their instructions."

"What do you mean?" Soraka asked.

"I mean that waiting for the war council's orders is a waste of time. We know more than they do and could act quicker. Besides, they will never abandon their passive attitude. They are just waiting for the war to come to them."

"They won't agree. They've always been like this," the healer said.

"We almost got crushed by the Noxians because of that. There is no way we can let that happen again."

"They will never agree to give us free reins. They want to remain in control."

"Not if we don't tell them."

"Do you realize what this would imply?" Soraka cried out.

"I do, but think of it from out position: we get attacked while following their orders and cannot react without their permission. We know more than them about what's happening here: we know that Swain somehow pulls the strings, that he's about to unleash a goddamn army on Ionia. Even though we told everything to the council, how long would it take for them to make a decision? They will prioritize what they think imports the most, which is the defense of Ionia. They will be ready to protect their lands, but they will only destroy the symptoms, not the cause of the issue. Only when the country is in a safer position will they do something about Swain while they should worry about him now.

"Irelia, wake up! We are nine here, eight if you count Lee Sin out, and you want to fight a whole army?"

"Look at Ionia: they are stuck on their island, too scared to step off. They are in a defensive position, and as long as we keep going like this, Noxus will never cease trying to invade our lands. It's like leaving ten keys in front of a locked door. They will keep trying until it works if we don't strike them back to put an end to this."

"The council orders us around because their protection keep us from getting kicked out of the League. Do you think the masters will stay put if you take your weapon and charge on Noxus like a kid with a wooden sword?"

"Maybe this is where you have to ask yourself what's more important: Ionia or the League of Legends."

Soraka gave her dark look, but remained silent.

"This is not the time and place to talk about this," Akali started in an attempt to cool down the atmosphere. "I think we should ask the others first and hear what they have to say."

"Fine," Irelia coldly said before leaving the room.

In the evening, as she went outside to go to the bar, she heard the familiar metallic sound of the cymbals of Jinx's monkey.

"When are you gonna stop toying with this?" Irelia asked her, although the Loose Canon remained unseen.

"Do you think I should get another one?" Jinx said, jumping on the path from behind a tree.

"Were you waiting for me or something?" Irelia asked.

"Of course I was. You told me you would introduce me to the newbie, who's not really a newbie anymore. Anyways, you vanished without saying a word. I tried to approach her, but she stays away."

"I'm pretty sure she's running away from your behavior in the Fields of Justice."

"She could at least get to know me, and I'll give her an actual reason to run," Jinx grumbled.

"If you want to meet her this bad, come with me tonight."

"Where to?"

"The Yordle bar near the clock tower."

"Yordles? Nah, they're too tiny for me. You know, you can hit the whole pack with one rocket if you're accurate enough."

"Then try to meet her after her first match tomorrow. I'll be there to hold her back."

Jinx's face displayed a large smile and her pink eyes sparkled.

"I can't wait to see the bloodbath of your match against Noxus! Good luck with Darius and tell him that Fishbones sends its regards." Jinx dragged her feet back to the main building while Irelia kept walking towards the town. Ahri and the yordles were already sitting at the bar when she came in. Tristana waved at her, and Ahri said:

"You seem to be always late these days."

"Sorry about that."

"Don't worry," Tristana said, "Lulu is often late too. I had to drag her to get here on time."

Lulu's green eyes were staring at Pix who was flying around the big candle in the middle of the table.

"How are you doing?" Irelia asked Tristana.

"Perfect. Our latest party was a real success. It's always nice to gather people. I don't why humans lack sociability this much. Why did you leave by the way? Teemo told me you had arrived early, and we didn't see you later."

"I was tired," Irelia lied, receiving a disapproving look from Ahri.

"Akali told us the exact same thing when she left," Lulu said without averting her eyes from Pix.

"Do you know what happened to her?" Tristana asked.

"I asked her, and she told me she had trained with Shen a few days ago, and he didn't go easy on her."

The yordles were extremely curious about everything happening around them, and Irelia seized this opportunity to ask some questions, drawing the conversation away from Akali.

"I haven't seen Katarina and Talon for a while," she started.

"Oh yeah, they left the Institute, but nobody knows where they went, and I guess nobody is going to ask them."

"What is your feeling about the League?" Lulu asked Ahri.

Irelia was always astonished by how easily she could change topic.

"It was a bit scary at the beginning, but I feel home now."

"You know that every champion can take a break to go back to their families if they wish to."

"No, I didn't know this," Ahri replied.

"Do you have a family waiting for you in Ionia?" Tristana asked her, glancing at her fox ears.

"Not really," Ahri hesitated.

"Where do you come from exactly?" Lulu asked.

"And why have you joined the League of Legends?" Tristana added.

Ahri's discomfort was obvious, and Irelia decided to step in. "She doesn't want to talk about this, if you don't mind."

"Sure!" Tristana said. "Sorry for the indiscretion."

"Have you heard anything about the other champions recently?"

"Camille is behaving like a cop here. It's hard to do anything without feeling watched," Lulu answered.

"I almost never see her," Ahri frowned.

"Yeah," Tristana added, "She's been watching the yordles since Teemo decided to experiment his new alchemy recipes in the Piltovian wing of the Institute. She thinks we all were involved. I'm not sure many people like her."

"Not even Vi and Cait?" Irelia asked;

"Nope. She's too... how can I say it...aristocratic for Vi, and Caitlyn doesn't like her methods because they cause trouble more than anything else. I think Camille takes great care avoiding them when she is in Piltover."

"Oh," Lulu said, "have you heard that Draven and Darius left the Institute for almost two weeks? They're back now, but they were gone for a long time." She laid eyes on Irelia and added: "A bit like you."

"What's going on between you and the Noxians?" Tristana asked. "You've all gone missing all of a sudden, and all at the same time. I mean: First Katarina and Talon, Akali and Lee Sin, then you, then Darius and Draven along with Karma and Yi. It's like you're up to something together."

"The Noxians have been a bit more active than usual, and we wanted to make sure everything was okay." Irelia retorted.

"And? Is it?" Tristana asked.

"Yes. There is nothing to worry about. They were trying to get better weapons to use on the Rift, but got turned away." The lie came out of Irelia's mouth before she could hold it back. She set her eyes on Pix: the creature was dancing around the candle, casting an immense shadow which contrasted with his tiny size.

She left later with Ahri while the yordles remained in the bar, chatting with everyone around. A thousand stars were shining in the clear sky, and the crescent moon seemed larger than usual. It was late, and the streets were empty, apart from some drunk folks walking back home. The Vastaya had buried herself in a deadly silence, which did not bother Irelia. A few minutes later, the fox-lady spoke:

"Thanks for coming with me today. It was nice."

"I can be nice sometimes," Irelia pretended to be offended.

"I guess it's better than nothing," Ahri laughed.

"Is there something bothering you?" Irelia asked, although she already knew the answer.

"Actually," the Nine-Tailed Fox said after a brief silence, "I feel like you've been avoiding me for some reason. I mean, maybe not avoiding, but keeping your distances or something. The first days I was here... Look, I know you've been busy and all, but..."

"Ahri, you're free to make friends with whomever you want. I already told you. I know I'm to blame for not spending more time with you, and it's probably my fault if you are hanging out with Leblanc, but everyone in the League is different. Even if I'm your mentor, it's doesn't mean you have to keep away from the other champions. Now I admit, I would like to keep the Noxians out, but it doesn't always turn out the way you expect things to go."

Ahri remained silent, as if she expected Irelia to speak more. When she realized her mentor was done, she said: "Fine, I'm happy to hear it. I won't bring up this topic again."

The hint of annoyance in her voice struck Irelia, but she didn't raise it.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

All the champions were already on their platforms when Irelia arrived to the Fountain Yard the next day. Ignoring the eyes set on her, she stepped on her own platform and the spell took them to the Rift. Her teammates were Jhin, Soraka, Akali and Yi. The Noxian champions selected were Katarina, Draven, Cassiopea, Darius and Elise. As they headed down their lanes, Irelia asked her summoner to keep an eye on the other champions: she feared the whole Noxian team would try to attack them before the arrival of the minions. Nothing happened, though. Darius was not in sight, and Irelia started cutting through the enemy minions.

 _None of the Noxian champions is there_ , her summoner told her. Irelia left her lane to join Akali. The ninja was patiently waiting under her turret and walked to Irelia when she saw her.

"Any news from Jhin and Soraka?" Irelia asked.

"They are coming here. It doesn't make sense that none of them has showed up yet."

"How about Yi?"

"I'm right here," he said, jumping on the path and startling Irelia and Akali.

Soraka and Jhin arrived a few moments later.

"What's going on here? The match started at least ten minutes ago. How is it we can't see anyone?" Jhin asked, reloading his gun.

"I think we should keep going here all together," Yi declared. "Our summoners will tell us if they start pushing on another lane."

They all agreed, and soon the first turret went down, but there was still no sign of their enemies. Jhin suddenly turned his head, as if he had heard something.

"There is someone over there," he said, pointing towards the trees. Sticking together, they moved deep into the jungle, all their senses awake. A bird started singing, which triggered a chain of animal sounds around. Akali suddenly dashed forward, pushing Yi away. With a sharp noise, the knife hit the tree right behind the spot where Yi was a second before. He nodded at Akali to thank her. Irelia moved forward, her blades floating in front of her. She stopped when she saw four figures standing at the edge of the forest. By the corner of the eye, she glimpsed Akali and Yi go around to block their path. Katarina, Darius, Elise and Cassiopea were standing side by side on the path, staring at them. Draven had to be close too.

"I'll take care of this," Jhin said, grabbing his rifle before anyone could react. He shot four powerful bullets, deafening Irelia and Soraka. "One," Jhin counted, "two. I got two of them."

Irelia lunged forward without waiting while Akali and Yi appeared from the left side. Darius and Cassiopea had been hit, and the two others had gone. Yi rushed at incredible speed towards Darius, followed by Akali. Jhin shot at Cassiopea who was on the ground. A stifled groaning coming from behind made Irelia turn around. Soraka's body was lying in a red puddle next to the Sinister Blade. Irelia's blades flew towards her, one of them stabbing her shoulder. Darting at her opponent, Irelia quickly broke her defense. Katarina suddenly disappeared and a large shadow fell on Irelia from the surrounding trees. She rolled aside, to avoid being crushed by Elise who had turned to a spider.

"Jhin!" she shouted, catching the Virtuoso's attention.

He shot at Elise, piercing her skin. She turned back to her human form and Irelia seized the opportunity to attack. She stabbed her in the stomach, spilling blood on the trees. One of her blades flew towards Elise's heart, pinning her on the trunk behind her and killing her on the spot.

 _Katarina is beind you!_ Her summoner shouted in her mind, but before she could do a thing, the assassin was on her. A sharp pain ran through her spine and head, and she collapsed in the darkness. Back at the fountain, everyone seemed to be there. Only Darius and Cassiopea had been killed by Akali and Yi while Katarina and Elise had distracted Jhin, Soraka and Irleia. Draven had come out of nowhere, killing Akali and Yi with the help of Sinister Blade. The Noxians were now all back in lane, and Irelia followed the minions to defend the tower. Darius's eyes were filled with rage and hatred. He charged at her, and she dodged the hits. Dashing behind him, she severed the tendons at the back of his right knee. The Noxian roared in pain, leaning on his huge ax. Two blades suddenly rushed towards Irelia, furrowing the dirt. The weapons hit her leg, tearing the skin and muscle. She had to move out of the trajectory fast because Draven's blades would go back to where they came from. She avoided them and when she rose up, she bumped into Darius who was standing on his intact leg. He twisted her arm behind her back and said:

"I hope you enjoyed your trip to Steelcliff. We can't hurt you out there, but in the Rift, you Ionian scumbags are ours."

Before she could make a move, Darius tightened his grip, and her arm snapped. Letting out a scream of pain, Irelia wormed out to free herself, but it was a matter of brute strength. Irelia ordered her blades to impale Darius from four different directions, forcing the man to back off. He slowly walked away, a smile on his face. Irelia limped back to her tower to get back to her fountain. As the spell was casting, a crack on her right caught her attention, breaking her concentration and canceling the spell. She knew Katarina was there, waiting for a window to strike. She could not put her weight on her leg, nor could she use her weapon correctly. All the blades flew towards the origin of the noise, and a satisfying moan reached her ears. There was something wrong though: her blades would not come back, even if ordered to. She dragged her leg to the edge of the forest, glancing at the blood drops in the dirt. As soon as she penetrated the woods, she knew it was too late to back off: her weapon was stuck in a giant web. Something fell on her shoulders, pinning her to the ground. A leather boot kicked her wounded leg, sending waves of pain through her whole body. She quickly asked her summoner if any of her teammates was around.

"There is no one to save you: Akali is dead and Elise is going for your precious Soraka," Katarina said, punching her opponent in the stomach.

Irelia was stunned: how could she know what she had asked her summoner? And why was the latter not responding? Maybe it was just a coincidence.

 _Where is Yi?_ She asked.

"After Elise of course," Katarina smiled.

Still no answer from her summoner. "What the fuck did you do?" Irelia cried out.

"Let's say that we found a way to cut the link between champions and summoners. They would have never let us do what we want today anyways, and we thought it would be nice to share this no-summoner experience with you guys."

The leaves next to them moved, and Darius' massive silhouette appeared.

"Now," Katarina carried on,"we have heard of some issues in Steelcliff, including the death of Rhuska. Do you think we're dumb? We know you went there on your own, followed a bit later by Karma and Yi, just as we knew about Akali and Lee Sin. You need to grow some brain in there. If you believe you can outsmart Swain, you'll need to grow two brains instead of one."

"Akali is coming here," Darius said, looking around.

"You can handle her, Darius."

"She's your opponent, Irelia's mine."

The Sinister Blade grinned. "I forgot to tell you: Darius is fucking pissed at you because Swain blames him for Rhuska's death which is your doing. Have fun with him while I spend some time with my favorite ninja."

As soon as she got up, Irelia jumped up her feet, almost loosing her balance.

"I'll give you, let's say... seven seconds," Darius sarcastically said. "One, two,..."

Irelia gave her weapon a quick glance. Although the blades were trying to find a way out of the wed, it was too thick and sticky. There was nothing she could do in ten seconds: Darius would obviously catch up to her. Maybe she could force him to finish this quickly. She leaped at him, aiming for his eyes with her fingers. Darius seized her by the shoulder and sent her fly on the large roots of the nearest tree.

"What the hell are you trying to do? We're not done here yet."

Irelia cursed under her breath. Her only way out was to die quickly to get back to the fountain and help her teammates. A large smile stretched the Hand of Noxus' lips, and he dropped his heavy ax.

"That would be too easy," he said. "While you're stuck here, you can't do anything for your Ionian friends."

"Same goes for you and your Noxian friends," Irelia replied.

"They don't need me, and I therefore have all the time I want. You compromised my reputation, and Swain thinks I am responsible for Commander Rhuska's death." He crouched in front of her. "As he humiliated me, I never wanted to slay someone this much. You know, Swain's methods are a little too pacific for me, but I respect this. Still I need to evacuate my frustration, and it's even better when the one who committed the crime I'm accused of is right in front of me."

Irelia managed to stand on her shaky legs. "I don't actually give a shit about your emotions, Darius." She slowly walked back into the forest, keeping her eyes on her enemy. She had no idea what was going on with the other champions, but she had a plan. She turned her back to Darius and limped away, aware the Noxian was following her. When she reached the river, Darius grabbed her broken arm and yanked. "If you're going for a walk, be a lady and let me come with you."

Trying to ignore the excruciating pain shaking her body, Irelia retorted: "I'm expecting you to follow me."

She suddenly freed her arm and dashed forward. It is only when she got close to the pit that she heard Darius roar and run after her. Baron Nashor was there, with its long snake-like body half-buried into the ground. This creature was enormous and extremely aggressive towards anyone going past its home. Irelia didn't hesitate and ran inside the pit, catching the attention of the monster which furiously screamed. It's huge mouth rushed towards Irelia who closed her eyes and waited. A minute later, she was in her fountain, her weapon at her side.

"Irelia!" A masculine voice shouted. She looked around and saw Yi who was next to the central inhibitor.

"What the hell were you doing?" He asked.

"I was busy with Darius. How are the others going?"

"Quite good actually. We took down Draven, Cassiopea and Elise, and Akali came back here saying she had killed Katarina. How about Darius?"

"He's pretty angry, but if his teammates are struggling, he won't be an issue."

They remained together for the rest of the match, moving forward and destroying the Noxian turrets. After a bloody fight, they finished the match, and the blue glow wrapped them immediately after.

In the Fountain Yard, the whole scene looked like a complete chaos. The crowd were talking and arguing louder than thunder. As soon as the champions appeared on the platforms, a deep silence took over the place. Then again, everyone started talking at the same time.

"What's going on here?" Irelia asked her summoner who had run to her.

"We completely lost contact with the inside of the Rift. We couldn't see nor hear anything. We don't know what happened."

Irelia was in two minds: one the one hand, she perfectly knew the Noxians were responsible for this, but on the other hand, she had no evidence and she could not be sure that being recognized as guilty was not the Noxians' will.

"I could not hear you on the Fields," she replied, putting her hand on the young man's shoulder, "but we finished the match with a victory."

"Pity I could not see this," he sighed. "I believe all the matches will be canceled until they fix the problem. They said it would not take long, but they wanted you to exit the Rift before deactivating everything to look into it." He looked at the other champions who were also talking to their summoners and said: "What a mess, it's not the first time it happens, but the issue keeps popping out sometimes."

"Yeah, I know. Usually, they decide to remake another match because they can't determine who the winner is," Irleia sighed at the thought of another match against Noxus.

"I'll let you get some rest and I'll probably see you another day."

The Ionian walked back to her room to shower. At the main gate of the building, she saw Leblanc who was standing at the roots of an old oak. The Deceiver didn't not seem to notice her presence, and Irelia went straight to her room. A bit later, as she was looking for Karma, she saw that Leblanc was still at the same spot. Her curiosity taking over, she watched her from afar for a few minutes to see what she was doing.

"You're back from your match?" A voice said on her right.

She startled and looked at Lux who was walking towards her.

"Yep. It wasn't easy. I guess you know what happened."

"I do. What are you doing here?"

"Just watching outside."

"Watching Leblanc, you mean."

The mage stopped next to her and stared at the window. "She always waits here for a while. That's where she meets Ahri before their practice by the old bridge."

Irelia kept looking at Leblanc who did not seem to mind waiting for a long time.

"Is she always this early?" Irelia asked. "She was already there when I came back here."

"Yes. I have no idea why. She stays there and waits until Ahri shows up."

Too absorbed in her thoughts, Irelia did not hear Lux's question.

"Irelia? I'm talking to you."

"What?"

Lux sighed. "Nevermind. If you want to follow them, they usually take the main road to the bridge. You can avoid being seen if you follow the other path which goes through the woods. It's a bit longer, but they tend to walk slowly, so you won't have difficulties getting there at the same time as them."

"Thanks for your advice. You've become a master in tailing."

"Let me know if I can do anything else to help," Lux smiled before taking her leave.

Ten minutes later, Ahri appeared in Irelia's field of vision. She spoke for a short moment with Leblanc and they both took the road crossing the town. Irelia decided to do as Lux said and forked to the right at the first intersection. It took about twenty minutes to get to the old bridge by going downtown, which meant she would be there in thirty minutes. The sun was shining bright in the sky, but the shadows cast by the trees were heavy and threatening. Not a single bird song echoed around, and the silence made her nervous. The old bridge was the way people used to come to the town until the new road was built, providing a safer trip. The stone bridge spread over a deep river whose stream was ferocious. Irelia swore under her breath: if Leblanc and Ahri spoke, she could not hear a thing because of the noise. She squat behind thick bushes and watched as the mages arrived a few moments later. Once they got to the center of the abandoned yard, Leblanc turned to face Ahri. Their lips were moving, but Irelia couldn't understand what they said. They both stepped backwards to put some distance in between. Leblanc cast spells aiming for Ahri who nimbly dodged them before counter-attacking the exact same way. It seemed to be what Leblanc expected from her as they moved gradually fast. Leblanc was less aggressive than what she was on the Rift and seemed to take care not to hurt Ahri. After an hour and a half of restless exercises, they stopped, out of breath. Leblanc said something, and Ahri nodded and followed her, her tail slipping on the grass. They walked a bit further from the river, and Irelia sighed in relief: she was finally able to hear what they said. The two women sat under the large leaves of a tree which Irelia immediately recognized: it was a tree thought to have magical properties, as it bloomed only a few weeks a year. What made these trees so special was their white leaves turning black as soon as they left the branches. It was therefore impossible to pick one of these leaves without it changing color. At this time of the year, the branches seemed dead, which did not alter the beauty of the intertwining wood reaching for the sky.

"... a bit slow today," Leblanc said. "You have something on your mind, haven't you."

Ahri sighed: "Yeah there is something..."

"But you don't know how to say it." The elder finished.

"Maybe."

"Just spit it out, it's the easiest way. No need to beat around the bush."

"Fine: Irelia came back from nowhere and I feel she's avoiding me. She didn't even notice me this morning after her match. I respect her and understand she can be busy, but still, I don't know what happened."

"I'm not exactly friends with her. Actually, you're aware of the animosity between Ionians and Noxians, right?"

"Yeah, but you're talking to me as a friend right now, so it doesn't prove anything. Irelia told me she doesn't care if I talk to you, but I feel she's not honest with me."

"I admit people have some issues trusting me."

"You never told me why exactly. I mean I've heard stories, but they're just rumors. Can you tell me more about your past?"

"My apology, but I'm afraid I can't satisfy your curiosity. My past belongs to myself only."

"But how can I know if I can trust you? With everything I hear, I have more reasons to avoid you than staying."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I don't want to base my impressions of what others think. I believe everyone deserves a chance, and to be honest, you're not like the other Noxians. They stay together, and there is a kind of dangerous feeling issuing from them. I don't feel the same with you."

"You can feel danger?" Leblanc asked, peeling a dead branch.

"Yes, I can feel when someone has bad intentions."

"Does it work all the time?"

Ahri shrugged. "It has so far."

"Hopefully it will continue like this."

The wind blew their hair, and after a long silence, Ahri said: "There is something else. I..."

Her voice suddenly broke, and Leblanc patiently waited for her to carry on. The Vastaya took a deep breath. "Before joining the League, I was a real monster. I discovered my powers a long time ago and found out about life essence. I as able to suck it from anyone, and it completely took over me. I felt such ecstasy I could not live without it. For decades I seduced men and even women in order to steal their life force. I tried to stop, but I was too weak to resist. I ended up taking more and more lives."

A cold shiver ran down Irelia's spine as Ahri continued. "Four years ago, I stumbled upon a group of armed men from the Ionian Guard. At first, I was just watching them, curious to know about the reasons of their presence, but then I felt it rush through me like a lightening bolt. It came from their leader, Zelos."

Irelia's heart was beating so hard it could have left her chest. Although she could guess the end of the story, she forced herself to remain still.

"His energy had something different. I had never felt such a lust for someone's life essence. I walked away, but... everything suddenly went black, and when I opened my eyes, I was standing in their camp, surrounded by twelve bodies whose skins were as pale as the moon. I learned a few weeks ago that Zelos was Irelia's brother."

"Have you told her about it?" Leblanc casually asked.

"Of course not! How can I look at her and tell her that I'm the one who killed Zelos?"

"You either tell the truth or lie. It's up to you to choose which one is the best in this situation."

"She has the right to know."

"Then she has the right to hate you for it. All of us in the League share common stories somehow."

"I don't want her to be my enemy. I joined to League to escape from my past, not to dive headfirst into it."

Irelia's blood was boiling, and she felt the urge to hit something. She stood up and left in silence. Knowing she had been close to her brother's murdered made her sick. She kicked a rock that happened to be in her way and let out a scream of anger. She would bring Ahri to the Ionian court and get her locked up. She stopped by a small river thew rocks in, trying to cool her mind. She still had difficulties believing what she had heard, but Ahri had no reason to lie. She went back to the Institute where the issues caused by the Noxians had been fixed, and the match schedule of this day had been postponed to the next day.

Irelia saw Ezreal who was talking to Vi. The young man waved at her, and she came closer.

"Hi Irelia, how is it going today?"

"We had a small issue during the match this morning," she coldly replied.

"I heard about that. Will the match be remade later?"

"Yes," Irelia sighed. "They cannot determine who won."

"I am sure you beat the shit out of Noxus," Vi said.

"Yep, but the matchmakers don't give a damn. Sometimes I think we're just entertainment for the spectators and summoners. How are you guys doing? She then asked although she could not care less about the answer.

"Pretty well," Vi replied. "I mean, if you forget all the shit happening in Piltover right now."

"What's wrong?"

"Maybe you don't know this, but there is a massive exodus from Noxus. All the citizens are fleeing the city. Why, I don't know. I don't even understand why people chose to live there in the first place. So, back to Piltover, the mayor has passed a law: everyone willing to live in the city will have to remain in Zaun while waiting for the certificate granting them citizenship, which has caused lot of issues with the people of Zaun. Their lands are overrun by Noxians, and these refugees have a better access to the citizenship than the people of Zaun."

"Why did the mayor do this? He knows Piltover already has its own problems with Zaun."

"He hopes that the Noxian refugees' lives will be a nightmare in Zaun. You know how everyone behaves with these guys. Just tell anyone you're from Noxus, and your life expectancy will be reduced by fifty percent, even in Demacia where people are less likely to be violent. Anyways, the crime rates are skyrocketing at the moment, and we had to create an elite to take care of this. Furthermore, this lady Camille keeps throwing a wrench in our gears by investigating and acting on her own. I'm considering asking her to join us, so she will no longer be a bother."

"Wait, there are Noxians in Demacia too?"

"Yeah, they're everywhere. They say danger in Noxus has reached its climax, and nobody wants to stay there anymore."

"Don't you think it's concerning?" Irelia asked.

"Of course, but, unless Piltover agrees to investigate side by side with Demacia and Ionia, we can't do anything."

Ezreal was carefully listening without interrupting.

"Plus, how would Noxus react if we showed up 'Hi, we're just checking why your city is turning into a fucking mess. Don't mind us!' I don't think it would work."

Irelia scowled. Noxus' threat was spreading way faster than she thought.

"I'd like you to keep me informed about this matter if you don't mind," Irelia said. "I'll see what Ionia's plans are."

"Sure I will."

"Thanks."

As she turned around to leave, Ezreal cried out: "Oh, by the way, Nasus is looking for you. You can find him in the library like always."

Irelia sighed: she didn't want to see anyone right now, but she could at least tell Nasus to stop his research.

The library was plunged in darkness when she opened the door. She could barely see the bookshelves, but a strange blue glow coming from the end of the corridor caught her attention. Nasus was using a hextech magnifying glass, running it over the parchment Irelia had see a few weeks prior. The light was coming from the device. The Ionian gently cleared her throat to announce her presence.

"Good Evening, Irelia," Nasus said. "I'll be all yours after I'm done with this word."

A few minutes later, he turned to the Ionian and the she said: "I know more about Ahri's past. Is it why you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes it is. What have you learned?"

Irelia tried somehow to remain calm. "She's a criminal, and has roamed Ionia for a very long time, using people's life essence for her own pleasure. It is apparently something she can't control."

"This ability is extremely rare for a Vastaya and is indeed a curse more than a gift. According to what I have read, those affected with this power usually commit suicide because it forces them to do things against their own will."

"It doesn't change the fact they kill people."

"Yes they do," the demigod replied. "How did you learn all this?"

"I heard a conversation between Ahri and Leblanc."

"Noxus' power is currently on the rise. Everyone is fleeing the city. I'm afraid it won't take long for a war to break out."

Irelia kept silent. Too many things were going on at the same time, and she could not focus on what was important. Nasus had his eyes locked on her, and she understood.

"You know about him, right?"

"I do. I understood as soon as I found out about Ahri's power. I heard your brother's story, and the link was not hard to make."

"I don't know what I should do about this," Irelia sighed, more confused than ever. "On the one hand, Ahri is not entirely responsible for her crimes, and on the other hand, I can't let her get away just like this."

"This decision is up to you, Irelia. All I can say not to let your emotions blind you."

"Easy to say."

"You're not the only one in the world who's lost a brother. We all react differently and have the right to, but in Valoran's current situation, I suggest you choose wisely."

Irelia raised her eyebrows. "Is there anyone who _doesn't_ know about Noxus?" she sarcastically asked.

"Let's say I talked to Caitlyn not so long ago, and I know about Piltover's situation."

Irelia took a look through the window. The sky was dark, and the stars hidden by a veil of fog. She was exhausted, and took her leave. In the corridor of the Ionian wing, her blood iced when she walked past Ahri's room. She glared at the innocent wooden door and entered her room. All she wanted was to take a rest. Despite her fatigue, she took a long time to fall asleep.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

A gentle knock on the door woke Irelia up. She needed a moment to realize she was in her room and where the door was. Her mechanical clock read 3:46 AM. Who could it be? She opened up, and all her muscles contracted when she saw Ahri. She did not want to talk to her, nor did she want to even see her at the moment. She coldly stared at her, waiting for her to speak first.

"I need to talk to you," the Vastaya said.

"Is it about my brother?" Irelia hissed.

Ahri's pupils widened in her blue eyes.

"How...," she started

"I heard you when you were talking to Leblanc."

"Irelia, I'm sorry I..."

"There nothing to say, and being sorry won't change anything to what happened."

"I should have told you as soon as you explained about your brother's death, but I was too afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Irelia struggled keeping her voice down. "I'm sure you were not afraid when you killed all these people."

"You don't even know what it's like. How do you think I felt when, every time I took a life, I woke up surrounded by the smell of death?"

"Don't your dare tell me you're not to blame. For how long has it been going on?"

Ahri lowered her eyes. "I lost count after 89 years."

"How many lives have you taken?"

"2514," the Vastay replied as her eyes teared up. "I remember each one of their faces and their screams of agony haunt my dreams every night. I did try to run away from this...lust, but I just... can't. Each time it comes back stronger."

"How is it you haven't killed anyone since you joined the League?"

"After the test, Master Jilian told me they could help me contain my power with their magic. It has been working well so far."

Irelia took a few steps back inside her room.

"Please," Ahri almost begged, "I've come to you to tell you the truth. I know I should've told you sooner, and you had the right to know. Hate me if you want, but I wanted you to know."

Irelia sniggered. "I will hate you. I can't understand your struggle, and to me you're guilty of all these murders. I won't take you back to Ionia for a trial, though, because they are too busy to take care of your case."

The mage walked forward, and Irelia immediately stopped her. "Get out." Her voice was sharp enough to make even the more stubborn soldier obey. Ahri froze and turned back. Irelia slammed the door, probably waking up the whole wing, but she didn't care.

She paced up and down in her room like a tiger in a cage. Soon, she felt like she was choking and went outside to take a breath of fresh air. A light rain was falling down, creating small puddles. The area around the Institute was empty, and not a sound but the falling droplets echoed around. She walked to the Fountain Yard, and when she reached the square, the rain had stopped, leaving a humid smell. She sat on a bench for a moment, looking at the sky and letting her thoughts drift away. A humming voice eventually dragged her back to reality. Irelia knew who it was before even seeing them. She got up to walk away, but Jinx's voice caught up to her.

"Where are you going? And what are you doing up this late, actually?"

"How is it that you're always behind my back?" Irelia asked. Jinx was the person she wanted to see the least if she wanted to rest her mind.

"Cause you're always in front of me I guess. You were here first."

"Yeah, but you don't _have_ to talk to me when you see me," Irelia retorted with an icy voice, trying to hide her annoyance.

"I'm polite, that's it," Jinx sulked.

"What are you doing here?" Irelia asked, knowing how clingy Jinx could sometimes be, especially when she was bored, the rules of the Institute stopping her from blowing the whole place up.

"I can enjoy a night walk, can't I?"

"Have you somehow managed to approach Ahri without freaking her out?"

"No! She's always with Leblanc, and I can't stand her. Maybe you should do something about that."

"I'm trying, but it's not that easy."

"Maybe I could help."

Irleia hesitated. "How would you do that? I have no doubt you are a pro in messing up relationships, but I don't agree to your metho… actually, no." She was tired of holding back to spare others' feelings. Tired of standing in the back and watching while she could actually _do_ something.

"What would you do to help?"

"I can be extremely persuasive, you know."

Irelia shot her a weird look. "You're not being persuasive right now."

"Okay, okay. All I need is to drag Leblanc out of here for some time, and an excuse to leave the Institute for a few days."

The Ionian scowled. "What do you have in mind?"

"I guess you know about the Black Rose."

"Yes, I do. Leblanc's father used to lead the organization before it got shut down. They have come back, but I don't know if..." Irelia suddenly stopped talking while an idea slowly sprouted in her mind. She was probably wrong, but it was worth investigating.

"What is it?" Jinx impatiently asked.

Irelia stared at her, knowing she could not trust her. Her help would be extremely useful, though. She thought about speaking to Karma first, but she would only stick to the war council's orders.

"Can you wait until tomorrow?" Irelia asked Jinx who mumbled a 'yes'. "Fine, meet me behind the Bilgewater building at noon."

"I supposed you won't tell me your plan," the Loose Cannon sighed.

"It'll be a surprise," Irelia smirked before turning around.

"As long as I can use my guns, I'm okay with it. I'll wait for you tomorrow." She waved at her and left the area.

Irelia remained in the Fountain Yard for a moment until fatigue caught up to her and she went back to her room. Her discussion with Jinx had completely driven her thoughts away from Ahri. The start of a plan had begun to shape in her mind, and she spent a moment thinking it through until she fell into a deep and empty sleep. When she woke up, the sunlight was reaching her pillow, warming the skin of her face. She brutally stood up when she realized the moment sunlight invaded her room was a bit after midday. The clock on the shelf displayed 12:36. She swore out loud and dressed up as fast as she could. She ran outside, ignoring Lulu's greeting. The probability of Jinx waiting for her was close to 0. The Bildgewater building was quiet at this time of the day, as most champions slept late in order to party overnight. The small backyard was filled with trash left there the night before and Irelia winced at the smell. Surprisingly she heard Jinx's voice humming from behind the small stone wall circling the place. Jinx was laying on the grass, her back leaned against the cold stone and her eyes closed. Irelia stared at her for a moment: it was unusual to see Jinx this calm, and she wasn't sure she wanted to awake the beast sleeping inside the Loose Cannon.

"Hello, Jinx," she eventually said.

The young woman jumped up her feet with a startle, ready to shoot the person who had dared bother her. She relaxed when she saw Irelia, and er eyes widened "Oh, look who's finally here!"

"I didn't expect you to wait for me."

"I thought it could be worth it. So, what's the plan?"

"First tell me one thing: are you sure you can get to Noxus's undergrounds unnoticed?"

"Maybe not unnoticed, but uncaught, that's for sure."

Irelia sighed "As long as your face remains unseen, I don't care what happens in Noxus. You can blow up the whole city if you want."

A large smile stretched on Jinx's face "That's interesting!"

"But," Irelia continued, "You'll have to take care of something first: I want you to infiltrate the Black Rose and get as much information about their relationship with Noxus as you can. They have been let down by the Noxian government, which led to their destruction. They're quite likely to be in bad terms with Noxus."

"What are you gonna do with this info?"

"Let me finish," Irelia coldly said. "The Black Rose is afraid of Noxus' power, and with reason. The memory of their old quarrel will not be enough for them to take action against them. They need a better pretext, something they can't ignore."

Jinx's smile grew even wider, going from one ear to the other.

"I want you to provide them with this pretext. You told me you could easily mess up relationships, and I trust you. This is your chance to shine."

"Do I have free reins?"

"Yes, you do," Irelia replied without a hint of hesitation in her voice. She was determined to do whatever she could against Noxus, by any means. "One more thing," she added, "I won't be responsible if anything happens to you. You're writing your own story."

"So I can sell it to you."

"I'll use what you can give me, but all your choices are up to you."

"Don't worry about that," Jinx smiled. "I've always been relying on myself."

"Great. When can you leave?"

"As soon as you give me an excuse to leave the Institute."

"Since when does Jinx need an excuse to do anything?" Irelia sarcastically said.

"Now you're doing things my way!"

"I'll get used to it. I must go. Find a way to keep me updated."

"Got it!"

Irelia then went back to her room and changed, before striding to the Fountain Yard for her only match of the day. She was teaming with Zed, Yi, Janna and Lucian. Her opponent was Garen, and she struggled to keep her mind focused on what was going on. Garen's armor was heavy and tough, but had three main weakpoints: the elbows, the back of the knees and the neck. Irelia prioritized those points, striking with a deadly precision. The match ended extremely quickly, as she and her teammates dominated their enemies until the end. Back to the Yard, Garen grinned at her "Good match."

"Thanks, Garen."

The Demacian seemed a bit hesitant. He eventually asked "Where's Ahri? I haven't seen her in a while. I mean, outside the Rift."

Irelia's gaze turned to ice as she replied "She's not my problem anymore. She's been here long enough to handle herself."

"Did something happen between you two?" Garen frowned.

"I won't talk about this." Irelia's voice was curt enough for Garen to understand he was walking on thin ice.

"Let me know if I can do anything to help," he just said.

On her way back to her room, Akali's voice stopped her. The young ninja stopped dead when Irelia shot her her darkest look.

"Wow, why are you so pissed off?" she asked.

Irelia quickly pulled herself together, forcing herself to forget about Ahri. "Nothing. What is it?"

"Karma wants to talk to you."

"Of course she does," Irelia rolled her eyes.

"She thinks you're freaking out."

"Do you think I am?"

"Not in a Jinx way, but I can't deny this whole Noxus thing is taking a toll on you. Maybe you should, you know, slow down."

"And ask Darius and Draven if they're up for a drink, sure."

Akali put her hands in the air "Alright, forget what I said. Karma's waiting for you in her room if you feel like talking to her right now. I'll see you later."

She left and Irelia remained standing there for a moment. Could karma have guessed her plan involving Jinx?

Irelia knocked at Karma's door, a little harder than what she meant to.

"Come in," Karma said.

"You wanted to see me," Irelia said while closing the door.

"Indeed. Please take a seat."

"Is it going to take long?"

"Why are you so suspicious?"

"I just want to know what to expect," the Will of the Blades replied.

"I'm sending you to Ionia."

Irelia remained speechless. "Why?"

"Because the war council needs to be kept under control."

"What do you mean?"

"Words about thousands of people leaving Noxus have reach their ears, and they want to close the borders."

"And?"

Karma glared at her "And how can we leave those people outside? Right now, they are being piled up on the coast, waiting for a way to cross the sea to reach the island."

"I don't see why we should help them. It might be a trap."

A genuine look of anger was floating in Karma's eyes. "They're refugees, forced out of their homes to stay alive. If we refuse to welcome them, we might as well just send them back to Noxus and give them a reason to join their armed forces."

"You clearly haven't heard of the mess they've made in Piltover and Demacia."

"They're treated like animals."

"Oh, perhaps you want us to give them castles to live in. We're in time of war, in case you haven't noticed. If we need to shut the borders to keep our people safe, I will do it."

"And let those who have lost everything die outside? Just like a sheep you'd feed to the wolves?"

"I will never put Noxian lives before my people."

"I don't understand you anymore, Irelia. What happened to you?"

"What happened is that Noxus is invading our lands _again_ and that you're too blind to see that everything coming from theirs might be a threat. I will go to Ionia, but not to stop the council."

Karma brutally stood up and shouted "Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into?"

"Yes, and unlike you, I will do something to stop it from happening." Irelia's voice was calm and as cold as death. "I will place you under arrest if you try to stop me," she added, shooting Karma a dark look.

"Do you even realize what you're saying?" the latter said.

"We've been way too passive about this whole situation, and if I have to lock away whoever gets in my way until the Noxian threat is utterly eliminated, I will."

She turned around to leave. Her hand on the door handle, she added "I'll repeat it one more time, Karma: do not get in my way."


End file.
